


Let the Flames Begin

by sweetrupturedlight



Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-17 19:19:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 45,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1399483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetrupturedlight/pseuds/sweetrupturedlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elijah and Hayley in a series of drabbles which include their wedding, their first feed, baby names, baby gifts, hurt & comfort, kisses, tea-making, piano lessons, false labour and endless other scenarios.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_1\. Reluctant Confession_

Hayley sat on the porch swing, taking advantage of the warm evening. She was getting serious cabin fever, but there was nothing to be done. This pregnancy equated to being cooped up in a sprawling southern mansion. Technically, it wasn't such a bad gig. She had spent a longer time in places that were much, much worse. But after a few weeks, she needed to see something other than white walls and meandering garden walkways.

"You went through my things?"

She jumped a little, startled from her own thoughts.

Elijah had been returned to them two days prior. Things were even more frosty in the Mikaelson household – if such a thing was even possible. The siblings had found no common ground.

"Urm... no. I didn't," she said as a knee-jerk reaction. Of course, it was a lie. And he knew it immediately if his raised brow and indulgent smile was anything to go by.

Elijah walked into view and leaned against the porch balustrade, a hand in his pocket. For someone that had spent a week in a coffin, he looked remarkably good. As usual, he wore a dark, three-piece suit, the jacket of which was discarded. But the waistcoat and tie were impeccable.

"No?"

Hayley grimaced. "Busted. Sorry."

He shrugged, looking off into the distance for a minute. "No, not at all."

She clasped her hands in her lap, but gently set the swing in motion, the gentle rocking calming. "How did you know? I was meticulous about the way I put things back. I've been known to have done some breaking and entering in my colourful past."

He chuckled. "Believe it or not, I could smell you."

Hayley laughed. "That sounds gross."

"Trust me, it wasn't. It isn't."

She looked away, feeling her cheeks heating. _Is he flirting with me?_ Hayley snapped her jaw shut and bit down on her lip uncertainly.

"It suits you, you know." He pushed away from the railing and came to sit beside her on the swing. Suddenly, the seat was no longer calming and peaceful. It felt cramped. Maybe that was because their thighs toughed _slightly. Barely._

"My smell?" She could not help her embarrassed laughter.

"No, laughter. You should do it more often."

She looked away because his eyes were mesmerizing and it was inappropriate. _He is this baby's uncle_ , she chastised herself silently. She didn't need this kind of complication. She could have groaned because she found him attractive. Admitting it only made her so much more aware of him. _I'm a freak._

"This is the first time I've laughed in I don't know how long. Most everything has been doom and gloom. Especially when you were away," she allowed herself to admit. "Thank you. For a moment of… lightness, I guess."

"You're welcome."

She rose from the swing, about to go inside. Distance would be best. "Hayley?"

"Yes?"

"Did you find what you were looking for?" At her querying look, he clarified. "Among my things."

From her vantage point, she was looking down at him. The wind rustled his hair ever so slightly. She was annoyed at herself for even noticing.

"A couple of photos - you had weird hair by the way - some ledgers, laundry lists - really?" He smiled but waited for something more. _Damn he was good._ She confessed. "Yeah. Kinda."

He raised his brow and she wrestled with whether to tell him. _I'm already heading over the line of appropriate. What's one more confession going to do?_

"I guess," she paused, choosing her words. "I just wanted to know what you were thinking. And whether I could actually trust you."

"And what did you discover?" He stood too and instead of looking down, she now had to crane her neck upwards. She felt hot again.

She moved backwards towards the railing he had been leaning against. "That you're poetic, that you write beautifully, that your penmanship leaves much to be desired–" she teased and he chuckled.

Hayley sobered and continued, "– that you have darkness in you, like we all do I suppose." Her eyes flickered to his and he was staring at her intently. He nodded his head in acknowledgement of her judgment. "But mainly that you are every bit as gallant as you have been towards me… The lonely, homeless, knocked up wolf girl, stranger… person." The last bit came out in an uncertain rush. She had said too much.

"Gallant?" He had pushed both hands into his pockets and she bit her lip again. _Oh boy. He really did look good standing like that._

Hayley laughed. "I guess _I have_ been reading too much of your diary. Good night Elijah."

"Good night."

"Elijah?" she called from the French doorway.

"Yes?"

"Its good to have you back."

He winked at her. "For what its worth, I missed you too. And, you're not a stranger. And you're no longer alone."

She didn't say anything, couldn't. Because she may have had the urge to launch herself into his arms. It was absurd. She barely knew him. She blamed it on the hormones. That night though, her dreams were filled with him.

_I am in so much trouble._


	2. Chapter 2

_2\. A Word of Caution_

"What the hell is going on in this house?"

Elijah eyed his younger sister over the top of the local newspaper, the _Times-Picayune_ , he was perusing. He was sitting in the salon, enjoying the quiet morning. He appreciated the early sun here, the way the birds were particularly active in the garden and how this part of the mansion was serene. In this house though, quiet did not last long. Rebekah's sudden appearance was testament to that.

"I have many powers Rebekah, but I am not clairvoyant. You will have to be a little more specific."

She stepped into the room and deliberately closed the door behind her. He frowned at her and lowered the newspaper, intrigued.

"Niklaus?"

"Are you sure you aren't clairvoyant big brother?"

"It does not take much to know that most roads lead to the errant sheep in our flock. What is the matter?"

Elijah went back to reading. He was not in the mood to deal with Niklaus's tantrums. Still frustrated by his misguided attempt to secure Marcel's trust, he was a long way from forgetting his latest banishment to a coffin – all at the hands of his impudent younger brother.

"He's being his usual narcissistic self. But actually," she leaned against the closed door. "This is about you. You and the wolf girl."

Elijah's frown was back, finally folding the newspaper and laying it on the table in front of him. "Her name," he pointed a reproachful look in her direction, "is Hayley. And she is not a girl." He stood and walked to the window, looking out over the gardens. "She is a woman, mother to our niece or nephew."

"Exactly." Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Bloody hell. When you say it like that, it's even more disturbing; this miracle, hybrid, baby bun." She pointed a finger at him. "And don't dodge my question."

Elijah grinned in her direction. Her tone was slightly indignant. Sometimes, he forgot that Rebekah was no longer a little girl. He half expected her statement to be followed up with the angry stomp of her feet.

"I wasn't aware that you had asked one."

He checked his cufflinks before pushing his hands into his trouser pockets. His jacket lay neatly over the back of a nearby chair.

"You are being deliberately obtuse, brother. And if these past centuries have taught me anything, it's that you never play dumb." Her eyes narrowed. "Oh my god. You have feelings for the girl."

Elijah rubbed the back of his neck in agitation. Rebekah was right. He did have feelings for _the girl._ It was a circumstance he was not too happy about himself.

"She…" he thought for a moment, turning to look at his sister. "She is lonely and without a place where she belongs."

"So you feel the need to grant her home and hearth? Don't lie to me Elijah. You and I have always been honest with each other."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am fond of her. That is the truth," he confessed eventually. "But I have no plans on taking action. So you may rest assured. Keeping her safe is my only priority."

Rebekah moved from the door and came to stand beside him. All brashness left her and for a moment, he saw the Rebekah he always knew was inside, somewhere, but rarely made an appearance anymore.

"A word of caution then, Elijah. You have worked for centuries to try and get Niklaus to be a part of this family. And while you know my stance on this matter, a romance with this wolf-" his brow darkened and she conceded, "with _Hayley_ , is not wise. You know I would say to hell with Nik and take happiness where you can get it. But this baby means _something_ ; even I am forced to admit that. This is a complication you need to avoid."

"I am well aware of this." _Even if I wish it were different_.

"Besides, Nik will probably dagger us all and hold her captive until she births the child in silence."

Elijah cracked a smile. "In silence?"

"You know our dear, dear brother. Strange things give him pleasure. Who knows where he gets his kicks from these days. No one thought it possible for him to get romantically involved with a werewolf. And now we're in care of a hybrid miracle."

"It was not romantic."

"So you are quick to point out." Rebekah's brows rose in displeasure. Then it clicked and her eyes softened. " _Dammit_ Elijah."

"Thank you… for your concern." He placed a placating hand on his sister's shoulder. "But I am aware of my duty."

Rebekah seemed to be lost in thoughts of her own for a moment. "Perhaps that is the problem," she said. "You always mind your duty. When will you get the opportunity to get what you want?"

Elijah frowned. "You now make an argument in the opposite direction."

"Not an argument. Just stating the facts. We will spend our lives in the service of Niklaus's damned soul. When is it our turn Elijah? Our turn to be happy?"

On the inside, he sighed heavily, feeling the always present weight of familial obligation. He had spent so much of his life in the service of his family. And still, centuries later, they had moved no closer to being a unified force.

"Hopefully, before it's too late."

Rebekah just shook her head. "You are hopeless."

"It is my duty to serve this family. I hope you will come to understand that someday."

Rebekah did an uncharacteristic thing and leaned in to place a soft kiss to his cheek. "It's good to have you back." She hesitated a moment. "For what it's worth," she said cautiously, "the girl, she missed you." Elijah was pleased, even though he knew he shouldn't be. "Niklaus noticed it too."

"He doesn't care for her," said Elijah. Of this, he was sure.

"No, he doesn't. But the fact that _you_ do will be enough for him to do something stupid. Niklaus wants control. When he doesn't have that, you know we are all at risk."

They shared one final look before she left him. Elijah reached for his jacket and shrugged into it. Hayley often invaded his thoughts. _A persistent, beautiful, brave little wolf._ His lips curved slightly. There was something about her that called to something within him. Perhaps it was that she needed him as much as he wanted to be needed. In that way, he and Niklaus were not so different.

But it was impossible. She was off limits – _for now_ \- he allowed himself that thought, that private hope.

The door opened again and Rebekah poked her head back in.

"By the way, I came looking for you because Nik was acting more wankerous than usual. He just went into the study. She is in there alone. By the sound of things, you might want to swoop in and do that rescuing thing you do so well."

His exasperated look was replaced by anger. He moved towards the study. "Niklaus!"


	3. Chapter 3

_3\. The Confrontation_

Hayley sat behind Klaus's desk, trawling the internet. She still wasn't a hundred percent sure what Sabine had uttered in her 'voodoo trance' thingy, but it bothered her enough to try and find out what it meant. She hadn't told anyone about it. It might be nothing. _Or it might be more frikken drama._ She sighed. _Why is this my life?_

She felt, rather than saw someone watching her. It was the universal feeling of uneasiness that science couldn't quite explain. Intuition. Looking up from the laptop, she saw Klaus standing in the doorway. His expression was unreadable.

She just arched a brow in his direction; sure he would eventually give voice to whatever his problem was.

"I see the way you track my brother's movements when you think no one is watching."

Hayley frowned; startled at his abrupt admission. Her heart-rate tripped a bit. _Dammit. He could hear that_. "Well, hello to you too."

She chose to ignore him and opened ebay - just in case he decided to check what she was up to. Safer for him to assume she was shopping for baby bargains online than start asking questions about something she didn't quite understand herself.

He stepped into the room and up to the front of the desk. It was impossible to ignore him so she gave him her attention.

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Elijah is a man of the world." He was moody, his voice flat, but carried its usual mocking derision. Somehow the impeccable English accent only made his taunts sound more upsetting. "Do not be fooled by whispered words and the Lancelot act he loves so very much. You are not the first girl he's swept up onto his white horse." _That hurt_ , but she kept her face impassive. "And you won't be the last. He is every bit the Original. Don't waste your time using those lonely eyes. You mistake his _kindness_ for affection."

Hayley winced. He was throwing her words back at her.

_You hardly know him. And yet you miss him. What is it about my brother that always inspires such instant admiration?_

_He was kind to me._

Her anger rose to choke her. "Seriously? Go to hell. You're in no position to lecture me about inappropriate hook-ups." She looked back at the laptop screen but didn't see anything. It's like he saw into her brain and used the information there to purposefully hurt her. _Dick_.

Klaus slammed his hands onto the desk and she jumped. He leaned in towards her. "Just a cautionary tale. Besides, that was the scotch, love. And look at where it got us."

"Is that what it was? I thought you were just pretending for a moment that I was blonde and into teen drama." She saw his lips disappear into a thin line, his cheekbones becoming more prominent. For a moment, she was afraid. But then she straightened her spine. _Fuck it._

"Watch yourself, little wolf," he cautioned. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

"No, you watch yourself!" She rose and rounded the desk to stand in front of him, jabbing her finger into his chest. "I am not your god damn punching bag. Find someone else to bully."

He grabbed her arm, his grip firm. Hayley tried to twist away from him, but his grasp was too strong.

"He is not interested Hayley," he bit out. "And even if he was, it will not do. You are carrying _my_ child-"

"And _that_ is pretty much the extent of our involvement. Now, let. Me. Go!" She tugged.

"A pretty significant bond wouldn't you say. Elijah has... what do all those vexing psychology textbooks say? A rescuer complex. He saves things. And he sees you as the salvation of this family."

Hayley felt tears spring into her eyes and she hated her weakness, especially in front of him. She tugged harder. Would she never be wanted for herself? And would the reminder of her reason for being in this family always be a weapon to hurt her? Always the outsider.

"Niklaus!" Elijah's voice reverberated around the room. In an instant, she was free and Elijah had Klaus up against the wall, both his hands wrapped around his brother's windpipe.

"Elijah! No, it's ok." She didn't know why she was even defending Klaus. But it wasn't as if he was lying. The problem was, the truth hurt.

"She is with child brother. Your child. I urge you recall that fact."

Elijah turned to look at her briefly and she nodded. He let go.

"To hell with both of you," Klaus spat. "See if I care."

They heard the slam of the front door from where they stood. Hayley winced as the sound echoed through the empty mansion. She wrapped her arms around herself. She was trembling.

"Are you alright?" Elijah removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. In an instant, his smell surrounded her, his heat. _I'm overwhelmed_.

He reached for her arm and stroked the flesh where Klaus's fingers had just been. He examined the area, his long fingers brushing lightly over the soft skin of her forearm. She shivered again.

"He has hurt you." His eyes were soft and she was drawn towards him. _Dammit_. _Get a hold of yourself!_

"No, no he hasn't. Despite his threats, he didn't hurt me." _At least not physically_. She gently extricated her arm from his touch. It was too hard to be this close to him.

Elijah stuffed his hands into his pockets and took a step back from her. She was grateful for the space. Respiration became easier.

"Niklaus picked a fight. You were arguing. About me." He cocked his head to the side in a way she found endearing.

Hayley's eyes flicked up to his and turned away, embarrassed. She knew he'd heard everything.

"Why is he acting like he's jealous. Oh god, is he jealous?" The question was incredulous.

"Niklaus?" Elijah shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "No. It's just that old habits die hard."

"He thinks I…" she cleared her throat, licked her suddenly dry lips and tried again. "He accused me of misreading your kindness as some epic love connection." She laughed, trying to make light of the moment. "Of course, it's not true-" she rushed on.

"Rebekah accused me of the same thing," he interrupted. "The accusation was slightly different but I think the idea was similar."

Her head snapped up. She was speechless. "That's… _awkward_ I guess? Must be something in the New Orleans air that's driving your siblings to draw ridiculous conclusions. We barely know each other, to accuse... to assume."

"These things do not always have a schedule." Elijah looked to the floor, his hands still buried deep in his pockets. _He can't look at me._ "And in most cases, attraction is always _inconvenient_. At least, this has been my experience."

 _Attraction. Did he just say attraction?_ Hayley held her breath.

"What are you saying?" She drew his jacket closer around her.

He was quiet for a long time. So long in fact that she thought she had dreamed the entire exchange. Eventually, he pulled a face – half smile, half apologetic grimace. For no reason, the expression broke her heart.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

She felt her eyes prickle again and blinked rapidly. _I will not cry in front of him. Stupid, stupid Hayley._

"I was actually in the middle of something." She gestured towards the laptop and moved behind the desk, the distance making her feel safer, the furniture a tangible barrier between them.

"Sometimes Hayley, what we want is not necessarily the right thing. Or it's not about being right or wrong. It's about timing." He stepped towards the door but did not look back at her. "I do not have to tell you that things with Niklaus - with my family - are… tenuous at best. I cannot do anything to jeopardise what little accord we have. I could not be more sorry for it. Even when I wish it could be different."

Hayley blinked and he was gone. She lowered herself to the chair slowly and rested her head in her hands.

_I'm falling in love with an original vampire I can never have._


	4. Chapter 4

_4\. Private Party_

Hayley leaned against the doorframe, watching Elijah deftly knot his bowtie. He was pretty adept at it too. He was dressed in formal wear; a black suit and a crisp white shirt. She quietly admired just how good he looked. The garment was tailored to perfection. _Perfection_.

"It is not polite to stare."

"Just jealous is all. You all get to go out, play dress up, dance, drink champagne and I get to stay here. _Fun_." She rolled her eyes to compliment her intended sarcasm.

She walked into his bedroom. While she had been in there before, the occupant had then been conspicuously absent. Beside the door was a large wooden chest, intricately carved and very old. The lid was open and she saw a violin in its case. Strangely, she could imagine him playing the instrument with the same skill he applied to everything else he did.

"Another ball ha? For some damned reason, all the towns I happen to land in these days are hosting black-tie events."

"It is a charity gala. And with Niklaus out of town, it is up to me to keep an eye on Marcel."

"Tough gig I imagine." She wrinkled her nose in his direction and he chuckled. "Klaus went to see Caroline." He looked surprised that she knew. "I hear things."

He observed her keenly and she felt like she was under a microscope. "Jealous?"

"Are you kidding me? More like relieved he is out of here for a few days." Elijah went back to his tie, his expression unreadable. "Rebekah sent me in here to tell you she is almost ready." Hayley sat gingerly on the edge of his bed, just watching him. Beside her, his jacket lay. "What is it with you and a suit?" She touched the fabric gently. "Woah. This must have cost a frikken fortune."

"There is no price on quality," he said with a smile and came to stand in front of her. After a moment, he said, "A suit was part of a man's armour. I learned many centuries ago that forearmed was forewarned."

"Even if that psychological edge comes with a thousand dollar price tag?" She was sceptical.

" _Especially_ when."

"Well, your tailor definitely knows what he's doing." She could have kicked herself. "I mean, you always look good." _Oh shut up_. "I just mean that the price tag is… worth it." She felt her face go hot. He was smiling as if he knew exactly what she meant. _Smooth Hayley. Way smooth_.

"Thank you, Hayley." His eyes had a twinkle. He was enjoying her awkwardness.

She had to admit though; she didn't know anyone who looked as good in a white shirt. Damn. He looked _particularly_ good in a white shirt. And it all just enhanced the fact that he was an exceptionally powerful vampire.

Elijah reached for his jacket and she stood.

"I'll leave you to it. Have a good evening."

He shrugged into the jacket. "What are your plans?"

"The same thing I do every night." She sighed dramatically. "Read, watch TV, spend some of your brothers money on ebay."

He smiled and her insides quaked a little. _He really is ridiculously handsome_. And right now, his bowtie was skew.

"Your bowtie… its-" she gestured with her hands; he fidgeted and only made it worse. Hayley laughed. "Here, I can help."

She righted the black knotted fabric, and then smoothed the lapels of his jacket. It didn't escape her notice that he was solid beneath all that material. _Solid_. She concentrated to keep her heart rate constant. It was a battle.

"Thank you." His eyes were so warm, so earnest – _smiling_ almost - that she felt like his whispered 'thank you' meant way more _. I am losing my mind_. Hayley never felt more clumsy. He was dressed impeccably and she was barefoot and slightly dishevelled in shorts and a t-shirt.

She gave him a small smile and he cocked his head to the side, listening. "Rebekah is ready."

"Then I won't keep you. Goodnight."

He thought for a moment. "Wait for me. If you can. We shouldn't be too late."

Hayley's forehead creased, showing her confusion. "Wait for you? What-"

He touched her shoulder briefly on his way to the door. "If you can," he called.

* * *

When the clock struck midnight, Hayley raised her head from the pages of a book and stretched. It was late and she was tired. She had to clamp down on her disappointment. It was time to go to bed. She was on the forth stair when the front door opened.

"You're up late," Rebekah said, already shrugging out of her cloak as she breezed past her in billowing satin, not waiting for a response.

Hayley looked from where Rebekah had disappeared to, to where Elijah still stood in the foyer. He was bathed in a circle of light. _A dark angel_.

"She must be exhausted," Hayley said, gesturing over her shoulder in the general direction.

"You look tired too." Elijah closed the door.

 _I'm not anymore._ "Not particularly."

He chuckled. "You're curious."

Hayley laughed in acknowledgement. "That obvious ha?"

"Only to me." She didn't know what to say to that, so she took the few steps down and stepped into the foyer.

"Wait for me in the lounge? I'll be a moment."

"What are you up to?" She couldn't hide the excitement that gripped her.

He winked. "Mischief." And then he too was gone.

* * *

Hayley sat in a wingback chair, but her nerves got the better of her so she stood instead. This is how Elijah found her, perched on the arm of the chair, chewing her lip.

He was so quiet she didn't realise he was back. Not in fact, until he moved in front of her.

"God!" Her hand flew to her chest.

He laughed loudly and the sound startled her as much as the scare. He rarely laughed out loud. It was nice.

"Apologies. I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, I live in a house with vampires." Her heartbeat returned to normal. "I need to get used to the stealth." She didn't admit that she was also preoccupied with thinking about him.

Elijah set a bottle of champagne and two crystal flutes down on a table. The flutes were beautiful, tall glasses, slim in its design. There were crisscrossing lines cut into the glass, racing from the stem to the lip. The overall effect looked like flames.

"Unfortunately, you cannot go out, but I can provide you with a drink - of the non-alcoholic variety. And…" he stepped close and placed a huge white orchid behind her ear.

"I'm a mess," she said in self-conscious embarrassment. Her hair was wavy and loose.

He tucked the flower securely. "Beautiful."

Hayley was speechless; stunned into an enchanted silence. She focused on the dent in his chin, trying to say something twice, but her throat just constricted and the words would not come.

"You're welcome," was all he said.

"How... Why are you doing this?" She felt weepy and looked away from him, blinking rapidly, only looking back when she was sure she had her emotions under control.

"I know it's hard to be in this house - alone most of the time," he said wryly. "It's not quite a ball, but a private party is better than nothing."

Hayley forgot herself. And she didn't care. She hurled herself into his arms and hugged him. _Hard_. A heartbeat and then his arms came around her too. She felt his head dip into the space between her neck and shoulder and she hugged harder.

 _You are wonderful_ , she thought. Out loud she said, "Thank you."

Elijah didn't say anything, just slowly reached for her right hand, his other hand dropping to the curve of her waist. And then he started to move.

"And I think you mentioned dancing."

Hayley lifted her head and gifted him with a blinding smile. "There isn't any music."

He looked deep into her eyes and she foolishly imagined he let her see into his soul.

"Do we need it?" Slowly, he turned her in a full circle before taking her back into his arms.

"I guess not," she smiled back, breathless. With an orchid in her hair, in shorts, a t-shirt and barefoot, she had never felt more beautiful.

Hayley tucked her head to his chest and pulled their linked hands to rest against her breast.

She closed her eyes; the gentle sway of their bodies the most perfect thing ever. Elijah placed his own head close to hers.

They stayed like that, swaying gently for a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

_5\. The Lesson_

The first time she heard music in the house, it was the violin. Hayley stood outside the library and just listened. After a while, she sat outside the door and closed her eyes. The sound was hypnotic but sad, tuggling at her heartstrings the same way Elijah played the strings on the instrument. She didn't go in though, when the music stopped, she rose and went back to her room.

The second time Hayley heard music, the door was open and she found Elijah playing a piano; a large black, glossy instrument with the name _Steinway & Sons_ etched in gold.

From her vantage point, she couldn't see his face, but watched his broad shoulders move as his hands danced skilfully across the keys. It wasn't hard to imagine that this was a slice of solace for him. She felt sorry to disturb. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, again unexpectedly moved.

"That was beautiful." She said into the silence that followed the end to the piece of music.

"Thank you. Please." He gestured for her to come closer. He was decidedly casual, she noticed. Well, casual by Elijah standards meant no tie, no jacket, no waistcoat. Just a shirt. This one was white. _My favourite_ ,she admitted to herself. And the two top buttons were undone, meaning she could see the smooth skin there. _Focus_.

"I think I've heard it before. I'm just not sure what it's called." She moved to stand beside him and then gestured to the bench he sat on. "Do you mind?"

"No, be my guest." He moved over and she sat down beside him. She was keenly aware of the fact that they touched from shoulder to calf.

"Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_. A classic."

"Unfortunately between fending for myself, dealing with being a werewolf and pretty much living the life of a nomad, I've haven't had much time to become familiar with anything other than radio hits in the last decade or so."

He pretended to be aghast. "The Macarena?"

She laughed out loud. "Worse. The ketchup song."

"You wound me greatly." His laughter made her feel warm.

"I heard you play the violin the other day. Any other instruments?"

"Spanish guitar."

"Drums?"

He pursed his lips in a way she found decidedly… cute. "No. I've not had the inclination. You look disappointed."

"Only slightly." She bumped her shoulder with his playfully. "You should start a band. Go on the road. Tour."

"It's not as much fun as you'd think."

Her eyes bulged. "You were in a frikken rock band?"

He laughed again. "I might have meant _band_. Not _rock_ band."

"Well, I saw a picture of you from a hundred years back and let me tell you, with that hair, you could get into _any_ rock band. _Comfortably_."

His laughter was loud, robust and immediate. She started laughing too, it was infectious. She was irrationally pleased to have inspired such a response from him.

"What can I say; I am a child of my generation."

"Yes. That you are." His eyes ran over her face and she had the urge to touch him. Instead, she ran her hands over the piano keys, breaking their eye contact. "I always wanted to learn to play the piano. My foster family had one. It was nothing as beautiful as this. But during the holidays, they would play. I wasn't allowed to touch." She smiled at him. It was sad. "Which of course meant I was even more curious about the damned thing."

"Well, feel free to touch this one whenever you like," he offered. "Would you like to play?"

"I don't play." Her voice was laced with longing regret.

"Place your hand over mine." Hayley looked over at him, uncertain. He placed his right hand on the keys and gestured for her to put her right one on top of his. This meant that she had to scoot even closer, her side plastered to his, her right arm now completely resting over his.

She bit her lip and then his fingers began to move. A soft giggle escaped her lips. His hands were strong and capable, sure as they moved over the keys relatively slowly. He was looking down at the keys and she turned to look at him. Barely any space separated her lips from the skin exposed above his open collar. If she leaned in just a bit, she could place a kiss below his ear, to the round, dark mole there. She pressed her lips together and turned back towards their fingers.

"If you like, I could teach you."

"To play the piano? Seriously?" She was touched by the offer. His kindness towards her seemed endless. _Maybe that's why I have all these feelings for him I can't explain. Some kindness and I lose my head. Pathetic,_ she chastised herself.

"I have been playing for a few centuries. I think I can be trusted to teach you the basics." His fingers moved again.

She was tempted. It would be a legitimate way to spend some time in the company of someone she was growing to trust – maybe already trusted too much. But she knew she couldn't accept. She would only be courting trouble.

"Thanks. Really. But with everything else going on, I don't think it's the best time."

"It might prove to be a good distraction." His fingers had stopped moving now and her hand just rest on his. He turned to look at her and without the will to stop, she met his gaze. Inches separated them. Hayley could not tear her eyes from his, despite being afraid she would let him see too much. But neither, it seemed, could he.

"Perhaps you are right. Not a good idea I think… considering," he said. His eyes had dropped to her lips, the words an intimate whisper.

"Considering what?" Her head moved closer to his, a magnetic pull drawing them closer.

The front door slammed and the spell was broken.

"Elijah!" It was Rebekah.

Hayley removed her hand from his and looked back at the piano, away from him.

"If you change your mind, the offer stands." He stood and looked down at her, a strange look on his face. Then he turned and left.

"I'll think about it," she whispered.

Hayley brushed her fingers over the keys he had touched. If she closed her eyes and concentrated, she could still feel him sitting beside her.


	6. Chapter 6

_6\. After Midnight_

_I'm losing my frikken mind._ Hayley pounded her pillow for the millionth time, trying to get comfortable. It still wasn't working. She got up, went to get a drink of water. That didn't help. She raided the fridge. She couldn't find what she was looking for. Eventually, there was nothing to be done.

Klaus would kill her if she even tried to disturb him. After all, it was after three in the morning. Rebekah, well, she wasn't even home yet. Close to sunrise was more than likely the time the youngest Mikaelson sibling would be seen.

She bit her lip uncertainly. _Dare I?_ Her stomach churned and Hayley knew she had no choice.

The house was dark, the moonlight providing some illumination as she walked the familiar passageway. Hayley stopped outside the bedroom door and listened. It was silent as a grave. _The irony does not escape me,_ she mused.

It was a cool evening and she was barefoot in cotton pajama bottoms and a tank. She shivered a little, sorry now she hadn't taken the time go grab her wrap. Or at least put on a pair of shoes.

Hayley knocked softly, scowling when the sound echoed. _Dammit. This is insane._ But then her stomach lurched again and her resolve strengthened. This time, she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open; it didn't even creak. The room was pitch black, the heavy drapes on the windows blocking out even the slightest shard of moonlight.

_I have lost my goddamn mind._

"Elijah?" She called so softly, she wasn't even sure she'd said anything out loud. "Elijah?" A little louder this time.

There was a rustle and then he stood right in front of her. She gasped in surprise, swaying slightly. His hands found her upper arms, stabalising her.

"Hayley, are you alright? Is it the child?"

She took a minute to gather her thoughts. What little light came in through the open doorway told her he wore only pajama bottoms. _What am I doing here?_

Her silence must have caused him discomfort because he turned on the bedside lamp and then returned to her side. The room was now brightened, the lamplight casting a yellowish glow. She felt like an idiot because his face was etched with deep concern.

_He is going to kill me. Or worse, I might be forced to kill myself. Cause of death: Idiocy._

"Hayley," he called again. He led her to the bed. One minute she was standing, the next she was sitting on the side of his mattress – the sheets were in disarray – so was his hair. Hayley was taken aback for a moment. She had never seen Elijah Mikaelson so deliciously rumbled. _Oh god. He looks sexy as hell._ She realised she wasn't prepared for the reality of it.

"Hayley!" His voice had risen ever so slightly.

"Shhh…!" She didn't want Klaus finding her in his brother's bedroom at three in the morning. "I'm sorry. _I'm sorry_. I'm fine, really. Please don't hate me."

He frowned. "Why would I hate you? Are you not well? Can I get you something?"

"In a manner of speaking…" She grimaced.

"What is it?" he asked sceptically.

She looked at him and licked her lips. _Oh god, please don't kill me._ "Well, I've been awake for hours. I can't sleep. I've been downstairs, tried to eat something, drink something, nothing works."

"Works for what?" His rumpled hair, naked chest and quizzical brow did things to her.

"Cravings?" She peeked at him through one eye.

His expression was blank for a moment. "Cravings?" He said the word as if he didn't know what it meant.

"Urm... yeah. I can't sleep because this baby – your niece or nephew –" it might be good to remind him of that, "is craving ice-cream." She thought she heard him grunt in disbelief. "I can't help it ok. It might be a hybrid baby thing, but if I don't have ice-cream soon I might be forced to do something drastic!"

"Just so we're clear, you woke me at-" his eyes flicked to the digital clock, "3am because you have a craving for ice-cream?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice small. "Pretty much."

He said nothing and the silence was deafening.

"This pregnancy is a bitch ok. And I knew if I went to Klaus I would likely be in a coffin of my own. Rebekah isn't home yet and even if she was, she sleeps like the dead – sorry. No pun intended. And well… you did say you would always protect me…?" She finished, trying on a small smile meant to charm. She didn't think it worked.

Elijah ran his hands over his face briskly, as if trying to find patience. "Ice-cream."

"Pistachio preferably." When he gave her an exasperated look, she amended. " _Preferably_. But anything will do."

"Hayley, when I said I would protect you, I meant that. But that was from danger."

"Look, if this baby doesn't get pistachio ice-cream soon, there will be danger - _my wrath._ Directed towards everyone in his house!" Hayley gripped his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "I need ice-cream ok!"

Elijah stared at her for a moment longer and then a small smile curved his lips, then a husky laugh followed. It was deep and low. A tingle raced up her spine. His skin was hot, smooth where she had touched. _He's gorgeous_.

He rose from the bed and walked over to his closet, shrugging into a black V-neck sweater.

"You're going?" She jumped up and clapped excitedly. "Oh my god, I love you."

 _Oh shit._ "I don't mean love love of course. Just like love." She shook her head. "The other platonic, I'm in your debt kind of love. You know what I mean."

Elijah walked over and she was forced to look up. With light only from the lamp, his face looked softer, the cleft in his chin looking deeper as the shadows played there.

"You're cold."

"No, I'm fine really."

"Get into bed. I'll be a minute." He gestured to his own bed and she immediately balked at the idea. _No way. I won't survive it._

"Can I come?" He was already shaking his head. "Come on. Its three in the morning, we're just heading to get some ice-cream. Please. _Please_. Some fresh air will help."

 _Was that Elijah Mikaelson rolling his eyes?_ His lips twitched and she knew she was winning. "Please."

"Shoes and a sweater. It's cold out."

"Oh my god. I love you."

He raised his brow. "Yes, I know what you mean," he said. "The other platonic type." She was sure he was making fun of her. But she didn't care.

Outside, Hayley slid into the passenger seat of Elijah's black Mercedes. The seats were leather and at present, being deliciously heated. She settled and from the corner of her eye, watched him expertly navigate the controls.

"You drive stick shift?"

"It's a preference. Gives me something to actually do when I drive."

"You could do what the rest of us do. Sing." She ticked off on her fingers. "It's cheaper and more fun."

"Somehow I doubt it." That smile was back. The indulgent, lazy lit. _Who knew watching a man drive could be so sexy?_

He just smiled and focused on the road. 10 minutes later, he returned and handed her a plastic tub of Ben and Jerry's pistachio ice cream. She ripped off the lid and practically salivated. She didn't have a spoon.

"Dammit."

An amused smile found its home as he handed her a plastic one. She dove in.

"Slowly Hayley."

Her first taste was heaven. She gave a loud, exaggerated moan and squeezed her eyes shut, savouring the sweet taste.

"Oh my god. This is soooo good."

"I can see that."

She turned to look at him and he had leaned back against the driver's door, staring at her, the small smile still on his face.

"Hybrid baby approves. Wanna try some? It's good." She had already shoveled another spoonful into her mouth so _its good_ came out sounding a bit garbled.

"No, thank you."

"Come on." She scooped a bit onto the spoon and offered it to him. She raised her brow in disapproval and he relented, taking the offered spoonful into his mouth.

Her eyes couldn't leave his lips and she felt her face warm.

"Delicious," he concurred.

She cleared her throat. "Told you."

"Time to get home and you in bed."

The drive back was made in silence. At her bedroom door, he stopped, waiting for her to go inside.

"Elijah," she whispered, "thanks."

"I would say anytime but…" She grinned and he grinned back. "Get some sleep."

Hayley closed the door and couldn't stop smiling.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the result of an unintended prompt from klarolinedrabblings on tumblr. she had posted:
> 
> "I would give my right arm for a scene where Hayley is making a cup of tea and she does it all wrong because she's not British and therefore not born with an genetic predisposition for tea making and appreciation. Then just as she's about to lift it to her lips, Elijah just swats it out her hands and is like 'I'm sorry, I couldn't watch you drink that swill.'"
> 
> That kind of got me thinking. This is the end result.

_7\. Tea for Two_

Hayley sat at the kitchen counter and made a second attempt at drinking her cup of tea. It was cold. She pulled a face. This baby was wrecking havoc with her bladder. Twice she had had to rush to the damned bathroom.

She really wasn't fussy about her morning beverage, but the tea was cool, too cool to even be palpable. She had spent way too many mornings – and nights – in foster homes sipping revoltingly cold coffee or tea. She rose from her chair and inserted the mug into the microwave. _Nothing 30 seconds can't fix._

With the predictable beep, she removed the mug and steam billowed. _Perfect_. She raised it to her lips and would have sipped if an incredulous Elijah did not interrupt her.

"Tell me you did not just microwave a cup of tea."

Hayley looked from him to the offensive cup and back again. Her expression was nonplussed. "Yeah. I did." She shrugged her shoulders. "It was cold. Its not a big deal."

Elijah stepped into the kitchen, removing his jacket as he walked. She watched as he folded the jacket neatly and laid it on a nearby chair. He proceeded by rolling up his sleeves. Her tea was forgotten. She was kind of distracted by the dark hairs on his forearms and how sexy his wrist looked with the heavy silver watch anchored there.

"What are you doing?"

"Rescuing you."

"From what? Hey!" The mug was plucked from her hands and she watched as he poured the contents down the sink. The look on his face was almost amusing in its revulsion. "I was going to drink that you know."

"I do know. Which is why the offensive liquid is now where it will be best served. In the sewerage system."

Hayley raised a brow. "Seriously. I know you were born British - or something," she added as an afterthought, "so I guess you have some genetic predisposition to making great tea. But I'm American. And generally, I kinda don't care."

"Your words are blasphemous and I must insist you cease from saying another." He was teasing her. He had that teasing look she was coming to know so well. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him lean a hip against the kitchen counter, his left hand resting where it always did, in his pocket.

"Fine." She raised her hands in surrender. "I am open to being convinced. I've gotta say though, I don't know how your tea's going to be better than mine. It's boiled water, bag dumped in, cream, sugar. Done. Drinkable. I don't see the problem."

"My dear Hayley," he said in an exasperated murmur, "tea should be savoured. Not devoured without the appropriate appreciation or slurped up in a frenzy." His tone was so earnest, she couldn't stop her smile. He looked almost pained at her casual attitude to tea. _Tea_.

 _Oh Elijah,_ she whispered on the inside, charmed, amused.

"Alright. Teach me."

He smiled. _That_ smile. The one that made her stomach drop a little. Well, a lot actually.

"Watch and learn."

Hayley sat down on the high chair at the island in the middle of the kitchen. She admitted that having him order her to "watch" wasn't the worst thing ever. She now had a reason to watch his economical movements across the kitchen – reaching for an old fashioned stainless-steel stove top kettle and placing it on the gas to boil, watching him search for and easily find a small, scarlet read tin box, the gold lettering in Chinese, the only English read: _Tieguanyin._

"That tea isn't even British. Or American. And it's not in a bag. Those are tealeaves."

"Rule no.1: always drink _good_ tea. The best you can find."

Elijah winked at her as he measured out a tablespoon into a little bowl that rested next to a white bone china teapot. The pot itself was beautiful, with a delicate floral pattern in pink, grey and silver hues. "It's a Chinese oolong tea, named after a Buddhist deity called _Guan Yin_ ; the Iron Goddess of Mercy. While the tea is expensive, a leaf can be brewed up to seven times before it loses its flavor."

"Well at least its bang-for-your-buck value is very high," she muttered, entertained by his tone. She could swear he was lecturing her. It was sweet, endearing.

"Rule no.2," he continued, un-phased. "Bone china is the best. It's non-porous and thus retains the heat," he said matter-of-factly. She had to admit; watching him instruct her was almost hypnotic.

"Wait a minute." A thought struck and her eyes widened in disbelief. "You import your tea? What am I saying; of course you import your tea. For the record, now that I've had a moment to process that, I'm not surprised."

"Good tea is hard to find," he shrugged. But his eyes flicked to hers and they were smiling.

"Hard to find in the entire continent of Northern America. Riiiight."

"As I was saying, the Chinese do not just gulp down their tea. Even just brewing it, serving it for their families or guests - its an event."

"They sure have a lot of time on their hands."

"No more than you or I."

Hayley rolled her eyes for dramatic effect and watched him pour the still boiling water into the teapot, swirling it around and then throwing out the liquid.

"Seriously?" Elijah smiled, his teeth showing. He was enjoying himself. She had to admit, so was she.

"Rule no.3: always preheat your teapot. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world."

"If you say so," she whispered under her breath. She knew he could hear her.

He scooped the tealeaves into the teapot, the leaves making a delicate ringing sound as it hit the china. He then poured the boiling water over the leaves. He kind of poured it from a height and she frowned.

"Its not just for pomp and ceremony, I assure you. Pouring the water from a height allows the leaves to swirl and begin to open, shedding their flavor into the water." Steam wafted from the little pot and he immediately replaced the lid.

"And you always have time for this," she asked sceptically. "This ceremony."

"Granted, not always. I do prefer brewed tealeaves, but I have been known to also enjoy a cup of Twinings or PG Tips."

"Magnanimous of you," she teased. She watched him arrange two matching china cups on the counter in front of her.

"Rule no.4: Allow the tea to steep."

"This is an awful lot of effort for something I usually drink in the morning."

He rested his palms on the counter top and the muscles of his forearms contracted attractively. _Concentrate_.

"The beginning of each day is filled with possibilities. There is no better way to start it than with the best beverage, brewed to perfection. Perfect for contemplation and calm."

"Two things I have no been blessed with lately," she muttered.

"Perhaps we can change that."

"With tea?" she said sceptically. "I know it's leaves and its green, but I doubt it has the kind of calming properties I'm thinking about."

Elijah chuckled and she smiled back easily. It was always easy with him. He made her feel comfortable. Like it was ok to just be herself. No need to pretend. No need to wear her usual armor and hold the world at arms length.

"This particular pot has a filter, so there is no need to strain the leaves." Elijah sat down beside her. "Tea Miss Marshall?" he asked with exaggerated politeness and she played along.

"Please, Mr. Mikaelson." She pushed their cups closer, not even realizing that she was leaning forward in anticipation. As he poured the shimmering, golden liquid, she had to admit it smelt better than any cup of tea she'd ever made.

"Milk?" he asked.

Elijah didn't take his tea with milk or sugar. Hayley on the other hand, she took hers with copious amounts of milk and liberal amounts of sugar. She thought she saw him wince. It was her turn to laugh.

She was keenly aware that he watched her closely as she took her first sip. She sniffed, and then gingerly sipped the piping hot liquid. She couldn't help it. Her eyes closed and she sighed with pleasure. When she opened them, he sat casually, lounging in his chair almost, his own teacup hovering close to his lips. His eyes were fixed on her.

"I believe the words you are trying to formulate might begin with a O, M and G."

Hayley couldn't help it. Laughter bubbled up inside of her and tea almost spewed from her nose. She reached for a piece of kitchen towel and narrowly missed the embarrassment. Instead, she gave in to her desire and laughed out loud, the sound ringing throughout the spacious kitchen. In fact, she had the giggles.

"I'm sorry. Its just you and the phrase _oh em gee_. Its just all kinds of…" He raised an amused brow and she thought for a moment. "Its kinda perfect actually."

Elijah smiled and their eyes locked across two cups. The moment, she realised, was one of those you never forgot. Years later, she knew, she would still be able to taste the rich chestnut flavor of the tea on her tongue, smell its aromatic aroma, picture the light steaming over him, the look in his eyes, the playful smile at his lips. _The happiness I feel being here with with him._

"Rule no.5: The tea you drink should awaken your senses with every sip. The sight of the iridescent amber liquid. The pitch perfect ringing sound of the leaves as they fall into the teapot. The smell, the rich flavor and taste as you swirl the liquid in your mouth before you swallow."

He had not broken their eye contact. And despite having just swirled and then swallowed a mouthful, her throat was suddenly dry. This might very well be the best cup of tea she'd ever had. Maybe it was the tea. _Maybe it was the man who made it for me._ Maybe it was the entire experience.

Elijah set down his cup. "Tea has many health properties. It is rich in antioxidants. Much better than he more universally accepted breakfast beverage - coffee."

Hayley took another sip, savoured, swallowed. "What are you saying?"

"That perhaps I would like to gift my niece or nephew with the taste for a superior beverage."

A smile was already making its way to her lips. She wasn't surprised. She smiled a lot when she was around him.

"If you'd like," he continued, "you could join me for a morning cup. I usually have my first cup before eight."

"Are you offering to make me tea for the next couple months?"

His gaze found hers. "I am requesting the pleasure of your company," he countered.

Her heart fluttered. "Then," she said without hesitation. "I accept."

He rose to leave. "I look forward to sharing my mornings with you."

Her face warmed. She blamed it on the hot beverage. There was something about him saying, _sharing_ , _mornings_ and _with you_ in one sentence that almost gave her an apoplexy.

She didn't turn to watch him leave, instead raised her cup to her lips. He had already left when she murmured, "I concede. No more microwaved tea."

She swore she heard him chuckle.


	8. Chapter 8

_8\. The Kiss_

Hayley stood on the back porch, looking out onto the vast grounds. It had gone dark hours before. In fact, it was close to midnight. She sighed heavily. This day was about an hour away from being over. She felt relief. But also a palpable sadness she couldn't explain. Or maybe she could. She just didn't want to.

She didn't turn to look at him when she heard him approach, but he came to stand beside her, looking out over the gardens much as she did. Their shoulders almost touched. She wrapped her arms around herself just a little tighter. He always came to find her at the end of the day. Even if it was just to say goodnight. _He always finds me_.

They stood in silence for a long time. She appreciated how much he seemed to understand her. Maybe he sensed she didn't want to talk. Or that she wasn't ready. Elijah never pushed. He always waited, patiently, until she was ready. And eventually, his patience always paid off.

She felt her eyes fill with frustrated tears and her chin dropped a fraction. _Dammit_. Every year she vowed she wouldn't cry. And then this day would almost be over and she would almost make it. _Almost_ , but not quite.

She felt a hand between her shoulder blades and he gently rubbed there, offering her comfort for words she had not yet uttered. She closed her eyes and swallowed. Two tears squeezed from between her lashes and gravity worked its inevitable magic. They fell to her chin, clung for a moment, before falling to the ground.

"It's my birthday today," she said finally. With a humorless laugh and an awkward shrug, she added, "It's almost over." She sounded relieved.

Elijah turned towards her then, only slightly. His hand had stilled for a moment, but then it continued its soothing circles.

"I didn't know."

"I didn't say," she confessed. "I don't celebrate it. Ever. Its not a big deal."

She hated the fact that even to her own ears, it sounded like a lie. He waited for the rest and she couldn't help it. He had a way of making her _want_ to tell him all her secrets.

"I feel…" her lips trembled and she bit her lip for a moment, feeling the sting. Eventually she finished her thought, "…lost, Elijah." The tears returned, burning in the back of her throat. "Lost and alone. I have no one. No real family. Maybe it's just some pipe dream I have of finding real family out there. But the thought of it, the hope of something that's mine, a place I belong, people I belong to, it's what keeps me going."

She caressed her belly. It curved gently, a sign that the life there was growing.

"I have a baby inside of me. And half of me is so afraid of this damned witchy prophecy and the other half - the half that's trying to be rational and positive - keeps trying to tell the scared half that this baby is fine. That she will be healthy and good. Better than either Klaus or myself ever was. And that this time, _this time_ the world, the fates will be on my side. And I won't be the one on the receiving end of being monumentally screwed over."

"Shhhh." He turned her towards him then, placing a gentle finger to her lips.

She removed it with her own, looking him straight in the eyes. "You say I am family Elijah. But I'm not. I'm not related to any of you. I'm here because of some messed up cosmic circumstance and if anything were to happen to this baby-" He began to interrupt but she shook her head, speaking her truths before she lost the nerve. "-there would be no reason for me to be a part of this family. Like everything else in my life, this is temporary." _You are temporary_.

She swallowed a few times, struggling to hold her emotions together. "Everything in my life has always been temporary. I guess… I'm terrified that this will be too." She admitted it to him. She would never have admitted it to another soul. "So I must find my family."

"Hayley, I have vowed to always take care of you. You know this. _Always_. That is not a temporary pledge. It means forever. The minute I found you, you became a part of this family." Her eyes had dropped and he raised her chin, willing her to look at him. "No matter what happens, that will always remain."

"How can it? We share no blood. You, none of you, owe me anything."

She would have pulled out of his hold then, but he wouldn't let her. Instead, his hands found the nape of her neck, cradling her face.

"Do you remember the night I came home, after being undaggered by Davina?"

She frowned, confused by the change in conversation. She nodded. "Yes."

"This exact spot, this is exactly where you were standing when I rounded that corner." He gestured over his shoulder. "You stood here, bathed in the moonlight." His thumbs caressed her cheeks where they cradled her face. "I wanted to kiss you then."

Her eyes widened, then she smiled. It was watery, but it was a smile. "And I slapped you. Classic me." She wrinkled her nose. "Kind of ruined the moment, didn't I?"

He chuckled. "Perhaps. Or maybe you were just postponing the inevitable."

Then his lips drew closer and her breath caught. They shouldn't. She shouldn't want this. _But I do. I want it more than I have wanted anything in forever._ She didn't want to fight the attraction any longer. It was almost midnight, on her birthday, and she didn't want to have another miserable milestone.

Her eyelids fluttered shut and his lips brushed her eyes, then her cheeks, kissing at the tears that still clung there. She lifted her chin, wanting more. There was the most unbearable moment when she feared he wouldn't kiss her. She strained towards him, the pull so strong. But then the moment passed and his lips touched hers.

Hayley pushed closer to him, her hands fisting in the front of his shirt, pushing herself into him, holding him anchored to her, rising into her toes slightly. His lips were soft, warm, but firm as they moved across hers. When she felt his tongue brush against hers, her knees trembled and it was his turn to anchor her.

His arms came around her and she sighed into him. The kiss, which started out slow, explorative and tentative, became an inferno of suppressed desire. The kindling had been lit and now the fire raged. She couldn't get close enough to him and his hands couldn't touch everywhere at once. Their lips broke apart and Elijah's mouth travelled to the base of her neck, where her pulse beat rapidly. He licked there; then nipped slightly. She felt her eyes pinch close in the most delicious way, the moment the most erotic thing she had ever experienced.

" _Elijah_ ," she whispered. She pulled him back to her lips, her arms winding around his neck, her hands fisting in his hair.

Eventually, he pulled back. All good things had to come to an end. And when she opened her eyes, she knew the magic moment was over, but the spell was not broken.

He placed a kiss to her lips, a final one. But then another followed. A third. Butterfly kisses, the softest, sweetest whisper. Then he stepped back and buried both his hands in his pockets. She knew it was to stop him reaching for her. That knowledge warmed her almost as much as his kiss had.

His smile was wry, a little unsure, his hair slightly mussed and his shirt was wrinkled where she had fisted it with her hands. He looked like he had been ravished and Hayley was undeniably pleased by her efforts. She was witnessing an Elijah that was out of his depth. It made her feel like they were both experiencing the same tumultuous emotions. It was comforting.

"I think I'd better..." she gestured inside. He nodded indiscernibly, but his eyes were still fixed on her mouth. She licked her lips, her throat going dry again. She knew she had better get inside or they would be courting trouble. Even more than they already had.

"Good night Elijah."

"Happy Birthday."

She left him there, vowing not to look back. But she did, watching him watch her walk away. A shiver tracked down her spine and she hurried then. _I am in love with him._ She knew it. _I am in love with him_. It was a certainty.

She made a detour to the bathroom and leaned against the closed door for a while until her heart rate returned to normal. The mirror revealed a flushed face, swollen lips and sparkling eyes. _Happy eyes and a giddy heart._

When she eventually returned to her bedroom, she noticed a book lying on her pillow. She sat on the side of the bed, reaching for the tome. It was a bible. Old, leather bound, the pages thick and yellowed. She frowned, looking around. There was nothing and no one else.

Hayley opened the cover and a pressed rose fell into her lap, the floral scent discernable even after so much time had past. The inside of the front cover had writing in it. It was a family tree, like old bibles used to have, tracing the lineage of a family. It belonged to the Mikaelson's.

* * *

Mikael ( _m_ ) - _**m**_. - Esther ( _f_ )

_Offspring_

Unnamed firstborn ( _m_ ) - Elijah Mikaelson ( _m_ ) - Finn Mikaelson ( _m_ ) - Kol Mikaelson ( _m_ ) - Rebekah Mikaelson ( _f_ ) - Henrik Mikaelson ( _m_ )

* * *

And Niklaus Mikaelson. He was a dotted line between Esther and an unnamed male

Mikael ( _m_ ) - _**m**_. - Esther ( _f_ ) - - unnamed ( _m_ ) - - Niklaus Mikaelson ( _m_ )

Hayley traced the bold penmanship. It had been written in ink, with a quill. But then she saw it. Her name, written in a different, but similarly bold script had been added to the Mikaelson family tree. She was a dotted line beside Klaus. Between them, there was an empty space for the name and gender of their unborn baby.

* * *

Niklaus Mikaelson - - - - Hayley Marshall

Baby Mikaelson

* * *

Her eyes filled again. _Elijah_. He had placed the bible on her pillow, he had written her name into their family bible. In doing so, proving that she was no temporary addition to their family. He had always said that she was family. Now, he had made her family too.

Hayley hugged the bible to her, smiling. In the distance, she heard the large clock in the lounge chime. It was midnight and her birthday was over.

For the first time in years, her birthday ended with happy tears.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug Jess requested a "depressing" one. This is pretty much extremely depressing. Kinda broke MY heart writing it. Hope it's not too heavy. A part of me wonders if this baby will ever be born. Or if some such tragedy might hit. I hope not.

_9\. Numb_

She had been chased by witches, kidnapped by vampires, and each time, she and her baby had survived. Through no fault of her own, through no fault of anyone really, but through the will of mother nature, at 16 weeks Hayley woke up in a pool of blood. She screamed, calling out to the most important person in her life.

"Elijah! Elijah! Oh my god!" By the time the last scream was out, he was at her bedside, his own face horrified at the sight before him.

"Are you in pain?"

"No." Hayley shook her head frantically. "The baby..."

He lifted her carefully, an arm at her back, another beneath her knees. Her mind raced as she held on. _My baby._ _Oh my god, my baby_. When they reached the landing, Rebekah appeared below.

"What the bloody hell was that racket all about?"

She took one look at Elijah's face and Hayley's bloodied pajama bottoms and knew not to say another word. He drove and Rebekah sat beside her on the back seat, holding her hands in hers. Everything happened in a blur. It was as if she stood outside herself and watched the frantic movements of everyone around her. From a distance, she heard Elijah on the phone. He spoke urgently, loudly. Elijah never raised his voice; he did now.

"It will be alright, you'll see," Rebekah said, a brave smile on her face. They both knew she lied. Hayley couldn't even muster up the strength to be grateful.

"How is she?" Elijah demanded of his sister.

"Just get us there. Fast," Rebekah replied. Hayley looked out the window, her hands now cradling her stomach. She didn't feel anything. No movement, nothing. In the past few weeks, she had become accustomed to little movements, flutters. Now there was nothing. She felt empty. Alone.

Elijah carried her into the Doctors examination room. Dr. Gauthier was quite familiar with supernatural beings. So when Elijah rattled off facts about her werewolf ancestry, no one batted an eyelash. He helped her onto the exam table and turned to leave.

Hayley couldn't do this alone. She already knew what the doctor would confirm. She felt it inside. Her baby's heart no longer beat. But she couldn't do this alone.

"Elijah. Please." She clung to his jacket, her grip desperate, her eyes equally fraught, almost wild.

"Are you sure?"

She just nodded. His own hand replaced the fabric she had been gripping but she turned her face away from him as a sheet was thrown over her, her legs parted and the doctor began his examination.

"I am sorry, but there is no heartbeat," Dr. Gauthier finally confirmed. All Hayley remembered after that was the sharp, snapping sound his latex gloves made as he removed them from his hands. It was loud, she thought. _Who knew latex gloves were so loud?_

She bit her lip but didn't even know she had drawn blood. Elijah's hand still gripped hers, while with the other he gently dabbed at her mouth with his white handkerchief.

"You'll ruin it," she said, shrugging away. She looked at his suit. The front of the once crisp shirt was now shades of pink and crimson. "I've ruined that too. I'm so sorry." Her voice didn't even sound like her own.

She didn't know it, but she looked so lost, so alone. Elijah just shook his head, negating any further comment on his ruined clothing. It was inconsequential.

"It's nothing. Its not important." She turned to look at him then. His eyes were wracked with pain. She was surprised by it. She knew he cared for her baby, but seeing the evidence of just how much didn't fail to surprise. She steeled her emotions, looking past him into nothingness. Even his kindness and compassion was too much emotion for her to handle.

"Did you tell Klaus? He would want to know."

"Rebekah has gone to fetch him."

Hayley shook her head, letting go of the hand that anchored her to sanity. "There is no need. Please, take me home."

He made no argument, but placed a gentling arm around her waist, guiding her to the basin in the examination room. Gently, he ran the warm water tap and Hayley watched as he took her hands, gently washing her own blood from her hands. They had not had time when they left the mansion.

She was hypnotised by the sterile smell of the antiseptic he used to clean their hands, sound of the water, the way the colour went from red, to pink, eventually running clear. Finally, he guided her out to the car. Hayley felt nothing, heard nothing. Nothing but the sound of her own breathing, roaring in her ears. It was as if someone clamped her nose shut and she was forced to breathe through her mouth. Air rushed from her mouth in agonising, but silent gasps.

Elijah touched her arm gently on the way home. She didn't turn to look at him. His compassion would be her undoing. She wasn't ready. She looked out the window but saw nothing but rounded shapes and muted shades. The world had become a watercolor, all the shades merged into one, until nothing made sense or even looked familiar.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Klaus demanded when the Mercedes had barely come to a standstill.

"Not now Niklaus," Elijah warned, his tone a protective growl.

"No, it's alright," Hayley said, walking towards Klaus. He had been a father for a little while. Just like she had been a mother. He deserved to hear it from her. When she reached him, she saw the storm brewing in his eyes. She knew him well enough now to know that his brashness and violent temper hid his real emotions. He was as terrified as she had been when she had seen the blood. But that felt like hours ago now. In reality, it was less than three hours prior.

"I lost the baby," she said flatly. She saw his eyes go cold and she shivered, her arms coming around herself. "The doctor said it wasn't anything I did. These things just happen sometimes."

"It's the witches, those pesky, filthy, festering-"

Hayley shook her head and moved past him. She couldn't deal with him right now. She took two steps and her legs buckled, her knees crumbling beneath her weight. Arms caught her, bringing her close. _Elijah_. She knew his scent. She turned herself into him. It was the last thing she remembered before blissful oblivion welcomed her into its comforting arms.

* * *

Two weeks passed painfully slowly. Every morning when she woke, Rebekah was there, keeping up a steady flow on conversation. Hayley smiled and nodded, but mostly, she heard nothing. During that first week, Rebekah had washed her hair a few times. Elijah had dried it once, and then he had put her to bed, sitting in the wingback chair until she slept. Only, she didn't sleep. She couldn't. She didn't think she ever could again.

Klaus had left town, 'to grieve in his own way,' Rebekah had said. Hayley didn't know what that meant. She wished she could leave too. But there was no place she could go that would ease the unending knot of pain that rested heavily on her chest. Some mornings, the grief was so heavy, she couldn't breathe.

But Elijah remained by her side. He made sure she ate, pushing a bowl of cereal or soup or pasta in front of her, the gentle order to 'eat,' always whispered softly, but firmly. It took her an hour to finish a small bowl of anything. He patiently sat beside her, never speaking unnecessarily, her silent champion.

That night, Hayley went to bed and heard Rebekah speaking to Elijah in his bedroom. "She's like the walking dead, Elijah. She barely eats, she doesn't sleep, for gods sake have you ever seen her shed one tear?"

He was quiet for a moment. "I fear her pain is suppressed. Until she lets go, she cannot begin the process of healing."

Hayley kept moving, not wanting to hear more. It was true, she had not cried. Not even when Klaus brought the remains of their little girl home to be buried.

"Hayley?" Rebekah called. They had heard her outside. She retraced her steps and walked inside, schooling her features.

"Are you going to bed?" Rebekah asked. "Can I get you anything? I'm heading into town. I can get you some of that pistachio ice-cream you like so much."

Hayley shook her head. She hadn't liked pistachio ice-cream in her life. But her baby had. Her cravings had been for Ben and Jerry's pistachio ice-cream. She didn't think she could look at it ever again. She didn't say any of that though. To Rebekah, she just said, "No, thank you."

"Alright. If you change your mind though, just call." Rebekah left and Hayley did not miss the concerned look she shared with Elijah.

He stood in the centre of the room, relaxed by his standards. He wore only a shirt, the top buttons undone, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. She noticed that he had been holding something, but he had moved it out of sight.

"What is that?"

"Nothing. Just an old trinket. Nothing you need to be concerned about."

"Show me," she insisted. Somehow, she didn't know how, she just knew it wasn't nothing.

Elijah hesitated a moment before retrieving the item. It was a crude toy really, carved by someone who had had very little skill. It was a wooden horse, about the size of her hand. It was old, very, very old, the wood smooth from centuries of being handled.

"What is this?" She couldn't stop touching it, turning it over and over in her fingers. Somehow this little, unattractive toy threatened to shatter what little control she thought she had managed to build and maintain.

Elijah buried his hands in his pockets, his jaw tight, his eyes sorry to be giving her pain.

"It belonged to my brother, Henrik. I had found it among my things a while back and thought..." His voice trailed off. "I am sorry Hayley."

She waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing really. Life goes on doesn't it?"

He said nothing and she looked back to the toy in her hand. There was something beautiful in the wear that was evident on the wood. The fact that someone, or many, had clearly found joy in the little wooden horse.

Hayley's eyes widened as she felt a lump form in her throat and turned to leave, dropping the horse to the floor. Panic; blind and unexpected erupted within her. With each step she took, her limbs became heavier, her heart beating fast, ready to explode.

"Hayley," Elijah called, but she kept moving. Her breath now came in short, loud spurts, as if she had run a marathon. When his arms came around her from behind, she lost the battle for her self-control.

A desperate wail left her body. It was loud, guttural, anguished and she didn't know it, but it broke Elijah's heart. All her pain was wrapped up in the sound and it was almost too much for even him to bear.

Her knees gave way and they both sank to the floor, hunched over in an agony so real, she felt as if her body were being ripped apart. She didn't fight when he lifted her into his arms and held her, almost like a parent would when their child was hurt. He sat down in a chair and held her while she curled into him, bringing her legs up, burying her face in his neck.

Hayley's sobs came then, fast, fierce, her throat raw. And still she cried, her sorrow pouring out of her in agonising waves. "My baby is gone," she sobbed. "She's dead. My baby is gone," she kept saying over and over again.

She didn't know how long they sat there, but slowly she became aware of the fact that the roaring in her ears had subsided, the pain now a throbbing, dull ache. Gentle arms still held her, kind lips pressed to her hair and temples, tender hands rubbed at her back.

Hayley closed her eyes and she realised she must have dosed off because she awoke when she was being lowered onto a bed. She opened her eyes, blinking a few times because the room was dark. But there was enough light from a lamp for her to know that it wasn't her bedroom. They were still in Elijah's.

"Shhhh, sleep," he whispered.

Hayley felt tears threaten again and shook her head. "Don't go." The words were hoarse, barely a whisper. Her throat was numb.

She lay on her side, facing away from him. But almost instantly, she felt the bed dip and he lay down beside her, fitting his front to her back, his arms coming around her, holding her, keeping her safe. Her body shook as a new wave of sorrow hit her.

"I loved her," she whispered. To herself, to him, a confession into the universe.

"I know."

"And I didn't know just how much I wanted her until she was gone." Her voice shook with suppressed tears.

"It wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault."

"I'm afraid to sleep," she confessed. "Because for a moment I will forget. Sometimes, I hover in that space between sleep and being awake. I forget I lost her. When I wake up, I touch by stomach out of habit. But I'm empty inside."

His fingers found hers and linked their hands, pulling her even closer - if such a thing was possible. "She will always be a part of you. Remembering her is honouring her." She felt his lips at the back of her head, pressing there before he said, "I'm right here. You're safe. Go to sleep."

That was how Hayley found peace for the first time since her baby died. With tears drying on her face, her hands gripped Elijah to her tightly. Even in sleep, she clung to him, his arms anchoring her to his side, to life; his whispered words of affection and affirmation resonating in her ears.

* * *

This was how Rebekah found them - both asleep, wrapped in each other's arms as tightly as if they were awake. Elijah's body cupped hers, ever the protector, even their ankles touched.

Rebekah closed the door softly. They would be alright. _Eventually_ , they would _all_ be alright


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jealousy, a suggestion by emerald-princess16.

_10\. Envy_

The makeshift family sat in the lounge, each occupied with their own interests. Klaus read his book of poems, Elijah studied spells. Rebekah, she sat in a circle of light next to the large windows and painted her nails a particularly vibrant shade of red. Hayley sat and read too - _What To Expect When You're Expecting_.

The room was quiet, but not awkwardly so. It was almost… an amiable contentment. Which was a definite improvement on things. Elijah made his way back to his seat via the kitchen, offering her a fruit salad as he passed.

"A snack." He was always thoughtful like that.

She smiled her thanks, trying hard not to give into the temptation to track his movements across the room. Instead, he winked at her as she scooped a delicious, sweet spoonful into her mouth and continued reading.

She turned the page, half fascinated, half terrified after reading about what to expect during childbirth. But then she felt the wind knocked out of her a little and she doubled over slightly.

"What the-?!"

Three pairs of eyes fixed on her. Rebekah was curious, a red tipped brush poised midway between a bottle and her toes. Klaus had a frown between his brows, his hands primed to turn to the next page. Elijah, he began to rise from his seat, his eyes shadowed with concern.

"Hayley?" the latter asked.

Again she left the strong sensation. She frantically turned to page 52. "It's the baby. I think she's kicking."

Both Elijah and Klaus rose at the same time. Hayley missed the look of caution Rebekah shot to her older brother. Klaus reached her side, looking down at her with a look of wondrous bafflement.

"Oh!" Hayley laughed.

"Bloody hell. Does it hurt?" Rebekah called.

"No, its just… intense." She reached for Klaus's hand and he kneeled beside her, letting her place his hands over the firm mound.

"There! Do you feel that?" Hayley saw a small, cautious smile blossom into a much larger one.

"Indeed I did. There it is again. Looks like we have a feisty one on our hands, love. A little wolf I think," he said.

"Might be the nicest thing you've said to me yet. Miracles do happen."

"Just as hell does occasionally freeze over." He chuckled and she smiled back at him, pleased that they shared this moment. Too often they fought, or remained coolly distant, courteous, tolerant. But they shared this bond of parenthood. She was pleased when there seemed to be moments that allowed them to almost be friends.

Hayley looked across the room, her eyes searching for him. Elijah stood where he had been earlier, his feet planted firmly and slightly apart. His hands were in his pockets, but it was not hard to see that they were balled into fists. His eyes were fixed on Klaus, his jaw visibly tightening as he watched his brother run his hands over her belly.

She waited for his eyes to find hers, they always did. But it didn't this time. He couldn't or wouldn't look at her. But his brow was furrowed, his body taunt as a string on his violin. Her gaze travelled between him and Rebekah. The siblings seemed to be sharing a thought, one she was not privy to.

She wanted to call for him, but Rebekah interrupted, clearly reading the undercurrents. "If I may have my turn with my darling little niece, brother?"

Klaus nodded his accent, patting her belly gently before rising. "I have to go, plans in town." He looked at Hayley and gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

She was touched at the sincerity. "I'm not sure I can commit to _any time_ , but I will say, _no problem_." He just smiled as he left.

She turned to look back at Elijah, wanting him to feel the baby move, but he was gone too. She felt crushing disappointment.

Rebekah was now kneeling in Klaus's place. "You are in quite a pickle I see."

"Excuse me?"

"Pregnant with one brothers baby, in love with the other. I swear this family is ever the damned soap opera."

"I'm not-" her face burned.

"Bloody hell if that isn't precious! And strong!" Rebekah smiled as the baby kicked. "Finally, another worthy female to help us balance the scale."

In a slightly more subdued tone she said, "It's not a judgment. I know that you and Nik are not quite Will and Kate. But by the look on Elijah's face, I'd say you have a jealous Original on your hands."

Hayley frowned. "Elijah? _Jealous_?"

"All kinds of awkward and complicated, don't you agree?" Rebekah just raised a brow. "I know my oldest brother. That defensive stance, that knotted brow, the broody aura... Men! Doesn't matter if they're a decade or a century old. They never fail to act like errant children."

"But he has nothing…! Klaus and I-"

Rebekah blew a kiss at the belly, shaking her head and moving towards the exit. "Forgive me, but I want no part in this baby daddy drama. I'm not the one you need to be having this conversation with." Rebekah gestured in the direction Elijah had disappeared to. "I'm going for a swim if anyone needs me."

Hayley bit her lip as she watched Rebekah leave. Elijah. _Jealous_?

She found him in the study. He sat behind the large desk, examining his mother's grimoire. It was obvious though that he wasn't reading anything. She knew this because his brow was still furrowed, how gaze fixed, the look on his face dark, troubled, _irritated_.

She raised her hand to knock and jumped instead because of the sudden ferocity with which his fist slammed into the desk.

"Fuck," he growled, low.

She bit her lip. _What the hell?_ His neck snapped towards her, his features becoming impassive. He hadn't been fast enough though. She didn't miss the emotions he tried to hide.

"Hey. You left." It was lame, as opening conversations went. But she didn't know what else to say. Energy radiated off him. She was all the way across the room and she could _feel_ it.

"Yes." He closed the book and stood. The defensive stance was back. She didn't think he even realised he did it. "I had some reading to finish and thought it best to move in here." His tone was cool, distant almost. She felt a barrier between them that had not been there – not even on the day they'd first met. "I'm sorry. I really must get back to these spells. I promised Davina she could have a look at another." He turned from her. _Dismissing her?_

Hayley cocked her head to the side and stared at him, her eyes narrowing. His brows rose at her intense scrutiny.

"Is something the matter?"

"Oh nothing much. Except the fact that you're acting like an asshole? That's usually your brothers role."

"I never professed to not possess any of Niklaus's… less desirable qualities. We are brothers after all. Its natural that the bad is mixed with the good."

She pulled a face. "Seriously? That's how you're going to play this?" She pressed her lips together and then shrugged, deeply disappointed. "Whatever." She turned to leave and was already around the corner when she heard him.

"I think about you," he confessed. "All the time. My waking thoughts are filled with contingency plans on how to keep you safe, what to do in a possible crisis. I think about the first time I saw you and how, under the care bestowed upon you in this house, you have flourished." She moved back to the doorway and looked at him. "Become even more beautiful," he finished.

Hayley swallowed, her throat dry. She didn't know what to say. He was pacing now, like a caged lion, unable to find enough space to breathe.

"I find myself proud of how brave you are, how courageous in the face of circumstances that must in reality be incredibly frightening. I catch myself, watching you, when I _know_ shouldn't be. I come in search of your company, when I also know it might be best to maintain my distance."

"Elijah." She didn't want to hear more. At the same time, she wanted to hear nothing else.

"But mostly, I know that this could not possibly be the right time to pursue feelings of any kind. And yet… I am powerless to contain it."

A few tense seconds passed and then he chuckled, his hands running briskly over his face before falling to his side.

"I have been ungracious. And I've said too much."

Hayley stepped into the he room fully, coming to stand beside him. The quarters were cramped behind the desk, but she didn't mind. They had not discussed the burgeoning intimacy of their relationship. It was an unspoken tension, an unresolved issue they were both consciously aware of. She had feelings for him. And he had just proven that he had feelings for her too. The situation was not ideal, but they couldn't pretend it didn't matter.

"Elijah, perhaps I shouldn't be saying this. In fact, I _know_ I shouldn't be saying this," she said wryly, watching as his attention settled on her. "But besides for this baby," her eyes flickered to his and then away, "you are the most important person in my life. Not your brother or Rebekah or even Sophie Devereux whose own life is still magically bound to mine."

He looked aggrieved. "Hayley."

" _You_ are," she reiterated.

He almost growled in frustration. "You're carrying his child! I have no right to feel the way I do. Protective and… territorial." His eyes apologised for the word. "And yet, I cannot deny my own feelings."

She reached for his hands and placed it to her swollen belly. She felt the stiffness in his fingers, the tension still raging through his body. But then she watched his face, her own smile broadening as she saw the wonder, excitement and then the undeniable affection dance across his beautiful features.

"My brother was right. She is feisty."

"And strong, and stubborn too I'm sure. Traits she might very well inherit from her father's side of the family. Elijah…"

He looked _almost_ sheepish. "I... was not prepared to see you and my brother together in such an intimate fashion." He grimaced. "I admit that the feelings took me by surprise. You will be parents to this child and I do not deny the importance of that bond. In fact, I encourage it." He thought for a moment. "I just did not expect to feel what I did when… he touched you."

"What did you feel?"

"Angry at myself. Irritated that he has the right-" at her look he amended, "the _permission_ to touch you." Elijah shrugged. "Even after centuries, it seems I am not immune to jealousy."

Their eyes met and she felt as lost as he did. "This is complicated, isn't it?"

"You may have a talent for the understated," he teased.

Hayley rolled her eyes but held his hands to her belly. "Klaus-"

"I understand. I want Niklaus to be a part of this child's life. To be a good father. I just find myself conflicted where the child's mother is concerned."

Hayley felt her stomach do a flip. She reached out and touched his face and he turned to place a kiss on the inside of her palm.

She was simultaneously filled with the deepest longing and unending regret. "Elijah, until this baby is born, I cannot focus on-"

"Do not apologise. I know. Neither can I."

Elijah closed the short distance between them. He placed his lips to hers, pressing softly. Hayley leaned into him for a moment, their hands still trapped against her stomach. The kiss was slow, but deeply passionate. They pulled apart only slightly, their foreheads resting together.

She would be clear though. "But when she is born and things between Klaus and I are settled, I look forward to continuing this conversation."

"As do I," he whispered against her ear. A shiver raced all the way from the nape of her neck to the base of her spine.

It was a promise. And she fully intended to hold him to it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Halle Alexis who requested the Mikaelson's discussing baby names.

_11\. The Little Miss Mikaelson_

Hayley sat at the kitchen counter, sipping a cup of tea and watching Rebekah over the rim. The blonde original was frantically creating a list of things that needed to be purchased.

"I wasn't aware that vampires actually celebrate the holidays," Hayley said, slight sarcasm dripping from her tone. She smiled into her cup at Rebekah's droll expression.

"Why wouldn't we? What the hell else would there be to look forward to?"

"Oh I don't know; chaos, mayhem, an endless stream of snapped necks and unclaimed bodies?" Rebekah just snorted and Hayley continued. "Its just… the idea of peace, joy and love to all mankind just doesn't quite sound like-"

"Niklaus? Yes well, there are more apt adjectives for my brother." Rebekah and Hayley shared a smile. "He doesn't really celebrate. But Elijah and I… well, we prefer to believe that there is some goodness to celebrate. Or we just pretend to be happy for a little bit," she finished under her breath. "I like to think of it as some bloody awful vampiric halo effect."

Hayley said nothing, realizing that Rebekah's experience of Christmas was probably aesthetically different to her own – the Mikaelson's having access to more money than she had ever had. But fundamentally, the commonality was a singularly lonely experience.

"Do you bake?" Rebekah asked suddenly. "We need ginger bread."

"Not especially, no."

"Never mind. With that belly, being on your feet isn't a good idea. I've seen your ankles. And besides, Elijah will only lecture me again."

Hayley's swollen ankles protested at that very moment and she sipped at her tea, asking casually, "Elijah?"

Rebekah just shrugged. "You're the precious. We all exist to keep you safe and comfortable." It was said with a generous amount of humour.

Hayley smiled into her cup. It sounded like Elijah. She couldn't put into words how much his thoughtfulness meant to her. Her wellbeing, her comfort. He always put her first. That had never been her experience, ever. For that alone, she could love him.

Rebekah rose to leave. "Right. I'm going to do some shopping. The tree should be delivered by midday. It needs to go in front of the large windows, slightly to the right, but not blocking the natural light."

Hayley had heard this instruction at least three times. "The right. No blocking of light. Got it."

Rebekah looked at the book beside Hayley and frowned.

"What?" Hayley asked.

"Have you decided? It would help if I had a name to have embroidered onto the Christmas stockings I bought for the mantle."

Hayley's face scrunched in confusion.

"The baby's name. You've been dragging that book around for weeks. Have you decided? We know it's a girl. Have you picked a name? It would really help with my planning."

Hayley shook her head, amused, surprised, slightly confused at this new side to the original.

Rebekah in turn narrowed her eyes with mischief. "I have some suggestions you know."

"I knew it!" Hayley clapped her hands. "I've been waiting. I knew this was coming. I'm surprised it's taken you this long. Oh hell, hit me. What should I call my baby?"

"Well, seeing as you asked…" Rebekah's smile said: _I know you didn't really but I'm going to tell you anyway_. She leaned across the table conspiratorially, all excitement. "I really like Nadia."

Hayley pulled a face. "Nadia? No."

"Come on," Rebekah said persuasively. "Its kind of exotic, interesting, mysterious. Everything our little bundle _is_ already. Imagine what a knockout she's going to be."

"No." Hayley just reiterated.

Rebekah thought. "What about Mädchen? Or Skylar? The former is from the old world, the latter the new. Either works."

"Mädchen Mikaelson. The alliteration doesn't strike you as ridiculous?"

"Its charming," Rebekah huffed as Elijah walked in. "Brother, help. Hayley here has shot down all the ideas I've had to name our precious little niece."

Elijah raised a brow and leaned against the counter, his hand resting lazily in his pocket.

"Mädchen Mikaelson," Hayley said, sending an exasperated look in his direction.

"No." He was deadpan. Rebekah clucked, Hayley laughed.

"Well, what are your suggestions brother? Seeing as you're so quick to denounce my perfectly acceptable choices."

Hayley turned to Elijah with a curious stare. He met her eyes as he spoke. "The child should have a strong name. Strong like her mother. Courageous. Befitting her ancestry."

"Dear God, please not something predictable like Elizabeth or Penelope or Wilhelmina." Rebekah pretended to wretch. "Bloody dagger me now."

Elijah almost smiled, Hayley noticed. She loved witnessing these candid moments between the siblings. They were rare and therefore all the more precious on the witnessing.

"Either of your aforementioned choices are perfectly acceptable. As is Josephine, Alexandra," he thought for a moment longer, "or even Gwendolen."

"Seriously Elijah? You would age our niece at least a century with any of those choices!"

Hayley laughed. "Actually, Josephine is pretty. It's on my list. As is Alexandra. Although I prefer the shorter form, Alex." Rebekah rolled her eyes and Hayley continued. "But Wilhelmina? Or Penelope?" She wrinkled her nose. "That's a definite no."

Elijah inclined his head good naturedly.

"Thank God," Rebekah huffed, her hands on her hips. "Those names are decidedly bovine. Every cow or pig is called Penelope or Mina."

Elijah laughed then, addressing Hayley. "What have you been considering?"

She flipped open the book to the front cover where she had scribbled a few names in pencil.

"I like Tallulah."

"Bloody hell. Next!" Rebekah called.

"Rebekah," Elijah chastised. "Some grace, please."

Hayley laughed. "Grace is actually another choice."

"You would name our niece after an adjective? And a weak one at that?!"

Hayley just rolled her eyes. "Or Scarlett."

Rebekah thought for a moment. "That might work. Even if it is technically another adjective."

"It has two t's. Its not an adjective."

"With that logic, I suppose you will spell Grace with a y."

"I'm sure Niklaus would like to be involved in this discussion," Elijah said, pushing away from the counter and coming to stand beside Hayley. Her personal space immediately felt invaded. But in a good way. She liked having him close.

"We already discussed his choices. Of which, _surprisingly_ ," she admitted, "I didn't hate any."

"Not bloody Tallulah surely?"

"Rebekah," Elijah cautioned again, but they were all smiling.

"He hated that," Hayley admitted with a grimace.

"There is a god," Rebekah muttered.

"Rose-"

"Might I request that the child not bear the name of fauna or flora? _Preferably_." Elijah said it with a wink and Hayley playfully swatted the hand resting close to hers.

"He also liked Estella. Or Sophia."

Elijah looked at her. "Estella is derived from the old French form of the Latin word _'stella,'_ which means star, guiding light, or even love in some of its more obscure forms."

The room was quite for a moment as the siblings digested. Hayley was hopeful. At least Rebekah didn't have an immediate scathing comeback.

"Estella Grace Mikaelson." Elijah's eyes met hers and she felt a tingle race down her spine. She knew. It sounded right.

She tried it on her lips. "Estella Grace _Marshall_ Mikaelson," she amended. "Kinda perfect I think."

Rebekah rolled her eyes but grudgingly admitted, "Estella is bloody glorious. Not Grace. But I approve of her first name. And the last." She smiled broadly. "Do I have your permission then? To have the Christmas stocking embroidered?"

"Yes, I think so. Thank you."

Rebekah planted a kiss on Elijah's cheek in passing. He raised a brow in her direction.

"Christmas shopping," Hayley clarified.

"Ah, yes. Rebekah does love the holidays. This house will be transformed. Brace yourself," he warned.

"I think I realized this would be huge when she threatened the guy down at the tree-lot with an agonising death if he didn't deliver the tree by midday." Hayley thought for a moment. "Or that she just actually made me choose a name for my baby so she could get her planning done." She shook her head in awe.

"Are you looking forward to Christmas?"

Hayley bit her lip and looked away from him for a moment. He had a way of looking at her so directly, she was sure he could see right into her soul. His dark eyes so serious, earnest, interested in what she had to say.

"It's never been a holiday I have especially looked forward to, if that's what you're asking. My foster family didn't especially celebrate and when I was on my own," she shrugged, "I just didn't have the cash for large dinners and fancy clothing. So really, Christmas is pretty much another day for me."

"You're with family this year." His smile was mysterious. "And there will be presents."

Hayley smiled, intrigued by his mischievous grin. She had been mulling over what to get him for weeks.

"And I have little Estella Grace." Hayley caressed her swollen belly.

"You're happy with the name?"

Hayley threw caution to the wind and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his cheek, much the same way Rebekah had. Except, while that exchange had been decidedly platonic, this one was not. The minute she was within his orbit she felt the chemistry stir between them. She pressed her lips to his cheek and quickly pulled back, stepping away from him.

"Its perfect." _Just like you,_ she thought. She turned to leave.

"I have retrieved some old boxes from storage. They might contain some useful decorations for whatever Rebekah is planning. Would you like to have a look at them?"

"Yes, I would."

"I'll bring them in."

They shared one last look and Hayley watched him disappear out the backdoor. She let out her pent-up breath.

"Little Estella," she whispered to her belly. "Your uncle has a way of robbing me of the natural inclination to breathe." She rubbed the rounded mound. "I am in so much trouble."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For gossipblondie who requested Christmas in the Mikealson household. For AuroraSpace who requested that Elijah be the first to present Hayley with baby clothes. And for stjmavsgirl41 who requested a combination of the above in which Elijah gives Hayley a gift.

_12\. The Gift_

Hayley sat in the front seat of Klaus's black Lincoln Navigator, her pregnancy now well into its sixth month. She was round, beginning to waddle and it was tiring to move around.

"You alright there baby mama?" Rebekah called as she alighted, already moving to the back of the vehicle. They were using Klaus's car because with all the last minute purchases Rebekah needed to make, her little red sports car was as useful as a bicycle.

"I'm fine. It's just taking me longer to get moving is all," she called back, rubbing her belly soothingly. Perhaps she had overdone it somewhat. She looked down, her feet were throbbing and her ankles were already swelling. She grimaced and sighed heavily, a little dramatically, feeling woefully sorry for herself.

This is what Elijah saw when he wrenched open the door. She was startled for a moment, her grimace frozen in place, perhaps giving the impression of greater discomfort than she really felt.

"My assertion that shopping with my sister would be too exhausting has been proven correct," he said, his face grim.

She breathed out slowly. Seeing him always made her day brighter. Hayley swung her legs out but they dangled far from the ground, too exhausted to make the small jump down. Elijah's arms reached for her automatically and lifted her from her seat. He didn't put her down though, instead swung her into his arms.

"You're overreacting," Rebekah shot back.

"This really isn't necessary," Hayley asserted. _But it's nice_.

"I beg to differ. You look dead on your feet." _I am_. But she wouldn't admit it. Despite that, she gratefully curled her arms around his neck and held on.

"It was good to get out," she defended. "Maybe visiting more than a dozen stores was slightly ambitious-" His eyes darkened and she rushed on, "but I didn't go into _every_ one. I was happy to wait in the car." _For hours_ , she added silently, glad to finally be home.

"Don't be a baby. You know you loved it," Rebekah called, her voice muffled.

" _I did_ ," Hayley said pointedly, looking at Elijah.

"Some help, brother!" Rebekah called from the back of the car.

"A moment," he said, carrying Hayley into the house.

Rebekah had outdone herself. _Completely_. The entire Mikaelson mansion had been transformed into a Christmas haven. _A frikken wonderland really_ , Hayley mused.

She had really never seen anything like it. It was almost surreal. Everywhere she looked there was something festive happening. Considering their lifestyle and their current predicament, it was almost absurd.

And yet there was something about all the fuss that settled a warm, contended happiness into her bones. No matter what was happening outside the periphery of the southern plantation, on the inside, Christmas had brought some kind of truce.

He set her down on the chaise in the lounge, stepping back to admire the spectacle before them. All around were sprigs of holly, mistletoe, garlands of flowers and wreaths. The couches had dark red pillows, white and gold candles of all shapes and sizes dispersed across various surfaces. The mantle was decorated with an elaborate pine bough, dotted with golden, finely spun Christmas balls, sprigs of red berries, pinecones and satin ribbons. The ends of the mantle bore the weight of a large jar of glitzy candy canes at one end and crimson apples at the other.

Tied to the front of the stone hearth were five white Christmas stockings. Each was quilted with jewelled studs connecting the triangles. Across the top of each stocking, a name was intricately embroidered in gold thread. _Elijah_ came first. Then _Niklaus_. _Rebekah_. _Hayley_. And finally, _Estella_. The first letter of each name was elaborate, the letters flowing into each other in a calligraphic kaleidoscope.

But the showpiece in the room was undoubtedly the close to 10ft Noble Fir Christmas tree. The needles appeared bluish green in the twinkling fairy lights, the tree filling the entire first floor of the mansion with the most amazing aromatics.

"This tree is just… wild," Hayley said in awe, craning her neck to have a look.

"Rebekah exceeds with excess," Elijah said, standing back and looking up at the spectacular sight.

Hayley stood from the chaise and moved closer, waving his concern away. "I'm alright. I want to have a closer look." Her feet protested.

His look was sceptical, aware that her feet must hurt. He put an arm around her waist, gathering her close as he offered support. Her heart tripped a little, liking the feel of his hand curling into her now non-existent waistline. They stood side by side, admiring the festive charm the tree exuded.

She squinted, leaning closer. "Are those… _little pixie elves_?"

Elijah chuckled. "They are. I also see silver cherubs, tiny jewelled chandeliers, antiqued acanthus leaves, poinsettias and… I do believe sequinned snowflakes."

"No kidding." Hayley rolled her eyes in amusement. "When I went to bed last night, my bedding had been changed and there were _at least_ four scatter cushions with embroidered snowflakes and reindeer on my bed. I woke up with my head resting on a frikken giant red snowflake."

"So did I."

Her eyes widened with amusement. "You didn't?!"

They both laughed and turned to look back at the magnificent tree.

"Holy hell," she breathed. Besides all those miniature, ornate ornaments, there were glittering balls, fairy lights, bronzed pine cones, filigree ornaments and the most beautiful gold fleur-de-lis at the top of the tree.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like this. Not even in my frikken dreams as a kid," she confessed.

Elijah reached into a tin beneath the tree and retrieved a cellophane wrapped gingerbread man. He tore it open and offered it to Hayley. It smelled wonderful.

"Is there anything she didn't think of?" The biscuit was outrageously delicious. She offered him a piece and saw him studying her closely. She frowned back.

"I had planned to wait until tonight, the tradition being that presents are exchanged on Christmas eve, but I hoped to find a quiet moment to give you something first."

Hayley's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she watched him lean down and retrieve a square, flat, white box from the bottom of the tree. It was wrapped simply, a gold satin ribbon holding the lid in place. Her waist felt bereft without his arm there.

"Elijah… I-"

"Please, allow me." He guided her back to the chaise and placed one of the crimson couch cushions at her back.

A breathless giggle escaped when he positioned the box across her lap, unsure what to make of it. She fingered the card and flicked it open. In bold, black ink, he had simply written:

_Christmas 2013_

_For Hayley & Estella. Simultaneous rays of light and hope. Always and forever._

_Merry Christmas_

_Elijah_

_Always and forever._ She felt weepy for no apparent reason, so took a moment to collect her thoughts by outlining the bold letters of his handwriting, tracing their curves. _Light and hope_. The words reverberated through her brain, bouncing around until she struggled to focus.

"What is it?" she whispered, running her fingers across the box.

He shrugged, looking slightly apprehensive as he buried his hands into his pockets, his legs planted firmly. "Open it."

Hayley set down the gingerbread and unwrapped the bow. She was surprised to see her hands were shaking a little. She cupped the lid and her eyes rose to meet his. His gaze was warm, flicking down towards the box in the universal sign of _'go on, open it.'_

The lid popped off and she moved aside the snowy tissue paper inside. With a gasp, the gold bow slipped from her fingers as she gazed at the treasures nestled within.

There were a few items inside and she picked up the first – a white satin pouch that jingled when it moved. She opened the soft purse and into her palm spilled what looked like two solid silver, intricately carved bangles. On each circle, two little bells were fixed, almost like charms on a bracelet.

Her eyes went to his and Elijah sat down on the couch beside her.

"It's beautiful. Are they bangles for the baby?"

"They will be, _eventually_ ," he said with a small smile. "They're Saffron Bells." He took them from her and she admired how tiny the silver treasures looked in his large, capable hands. "Thai people believe the jingling of anklet bells are said to ward off evil spirits. Each bell represents love, health, success and gratitude. It is traditional to place bangles, called _kumrai kortao,_ on the ankles of babies - for protection."

"Protection," she concurred, touched. "They're so tiny."

"They grow with the child. Eventually, they can be worn as bangles."

"Really Elijah, they're absolutely beautiful. Thank you."

"There's more."

Her eyes swung back to the box as she passed him the purse for the anklets. Beneath another layer she found a pair of tiny, white baby booties. They had a satin ribbon which anchored the little boot to a baby's foot. On the end of the ribbon, a tiny _'M'_ had been monogrammed. _For Mikaelson_.

Hayley swallowed back the lump in her throat as she removed the final item in the box. Clearly made of the finest silk and lace, she lay a delicate white baby's gown across her lap. It had long, chiffon, puffed sleeves and an empire waistline. Around the middle, a large satin ribbon tied into a big bow on the front. The lace was exquisite, embroidered with precise detail, accented with hand-sewn sequins, pearls and crystal beads. There was also a matching bonnet and bib.

At that point, tears sprang into her eyes. She didn't have the words so she gently lay the box down and leaned over, hugging him close to her. He hadn't been expecting it, if his stiff posture was any indication. But eventually he folded her into his arms, placing a soft kiss on her right temple. They held each other like that in silence.

"Tears?" he asked when she sniffed.

"Damned hormones." Hayley pulled back and smiled self-consciously. "The gown is beautiful. Everything… Elijah. I don't know what to say."

"Say nothing. It is my pleasure."

Hayley squeezed his hand. There was more she wanted to say. But she could hear Rebekah huffing and muttering loudly, clearly on her way into the house.

"I do not presume to be ignorant of the irony of gifting you with a Christening gown, considering our supernatural inclinations. The gown itself can of course be used for any other occasion."

Their faces were close and she could see the faint shadow of his beard around the cleft in his chin. Hayley placed a slow, deliberate, slightly lingering kiss to his cheek, close to his mouth, almost on the side of it.

Rebekah called out to Elijah.

Hayley pulled back and whispered. "It's perfect."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For A.J who requested something with high intensity - either angsty or romantic in nature (or both).

_13\. Cry Silently_

It was that universal feeling of abject misery that settled into every crevice of your psyche when you were unhappy for a long period of time. Like when mist blanketed the landscape or rain fell for more than a week. After a few days, your soul yearned for the feel of sunlight - its burnished glow and comforting heat.

Hayley felt like it had been raining for weeks because a cloud had settled around her, over her, inside of her. When she woke up, she thought about him. When she brewed a cup of tea in the way he'd taught her and took her first tentative sip, she thought about him. When she had a meal alone, she thought about him. When she sat alone in the big house she had been forcibly moved into by Klaus, _she thought about Elijah_.

She had become used to having a minder around too. Mostly Rebekah – but she preferred both siblings over Klaus's sullen, sometimes biting company. With each passing day he did nothing but confuse her more. It was always one step forward with him, and then ten frikken giant leaps back.

If she let herself, she could wallow. But she was a big girl. And she refused to be _that_ emotionally compromised. Her current state of mind might also indicate a depth of feeling for Elijah that she had not realised until now. The realisation had initially scared her to think about, to admit even to herself. Because she knew now what the dangers and consequences of loving and being loved by him would be. And it hurt. In quiet moments, it felt like everything hurt. All the time.

But with knowledge came purpose and determination. She had had time to think about her feelings and work through her fears. And she had made her decision.

She also came to realise that she missed the southern plantation. Initially, it had felt like a luxurious prison. Now, it was the place she referred to as home. Klaus, despite being _king of the quarter_ , didn't seem as happy as she might have expected. But that's what happens when you were at the top. It was a lonely place to be. Especially when the only loyalty on offer had been spurned, bought or offered of out fear.

He would not admit it, but she knew he missed his siblings. Both Rebekah and Elijah had now been exiled and this left Klaus without anyone to really trust.

Hayley sat quietly in the massive library. It was almost three times the size of the modest study at the plantation. She had been trying to read. But she gave up now, knowing that her concentration was shot completely – it was most days, since her swift abduction. She hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to Rebekah or her elder brother. She missed them, _him_.

She rubbed her hands across her arms as a shiver passed through her. The massive house was quiet. Absolutely silent. Klaus was off with his vampire minions, doing whatever it was that he did. Most likely, planning the demise of what little werewolf family she had left. The house felt abandoned, still, quiet. But like its master, it was a sleeping dragon. And she knew better than to imagine her every move was not carefully accounted for.

"Hayley."

Her heart tripped as she turned, seeing Elijah appear outside the open French doors, as if from nowhere. He looked like a fallen hero, the chiffon curtaining adding to his mysterious air as it billowed around him, given flight by the warm afternoon breeze.

The book she had planned to discard, fell to the floor with a resounding thud. She blinked a few times, unsure whether he was real. She had dreamed about him lately, daydreamed too frequently as well. It was only when he stopped beside her chair, a little smile playing at his lips that she realised he wasn't a figment of her imagination.

"It's me." It was as if he read her thoughts.

She propelled her pregnant self into his arms, holding on for dear life. His arms wrapped around her more slowly, savouring the moment she liked to imagine, but he held on just as tightly. It had been more than a week since the last time she'd seen him walking away from her while she sat in the front seat of his car. In the circle of his arms, time ceased to exist. It was like her world was slightly less chaotic, like things snapped into brilliant focus.

His hands tangled in her hair as she pressed into him, relieved that he was alright, that he was there, that she could touch him, smell him.

"There isn't much time."

Hayley pulled away with great reluctance, but didn't step outside of his arms. "What do you mean?"

Elijah pushed her hair off her forehead and behind her ear. She leaned into his hand, like a cat craving the stroke of its master. "Niklaus has forbidden my presence here. I had to assure myself of your safety. But I cannot stay long."

"I'm fine, _really_ ," she assured at his raised brow. "Klaus is his usual douchey self. Distant, condescending, sometimes slightly emo actually." She hesitated a moment. "But he's lonely, Elijah. And afraid I think. Although he'd never admit it. But I'm sure you already know that about your brother."

Elijah looked away and she moved to catch his eyes again. "What is it?"

"I fear it is not safe for you here. Niklaus is angry. And when like this, no amount of rational discussion can pull him back from the dark abyss of his thoughts. He feels betrayed and will lash out at anyone close to him. Especially, I fear, those closest to him. You now fill that role."

"I can take care of myself. It's you I'm worried about."

He smiled then, his voice dropping an octave. "We make quite a pair don't we? You're worried about my safety almost as much as I'm worried about yours."

"It's warranted. He had you in a box and sold to his enemy not too long ago. And the whole sweaty, sexy dream thing in the bayou." She felt her cheeks go red. "I couldn't go through that again."

He didn't say anything and they stood close for a moment longer before he reluctantly stepped back. She didn't want him to go yet, despite the very real danger of him being there.

"What you said, in the car-"

"I meant it," he countered. The words were spoken with no small measure of regret. "Niklaus would never-"

" _-allow_ us to be happy?" Hayley felt a rage fill her. Rage and regret. Longing and deep yearning, all at war within her. "

"He sees my… relationship with you as me usurping his role." The pause before the word _relationship_ did not escape her attention. Because it thrilled her.

"What role? He hasn't shown any damned interest in me or this baby. Elijah," she stepped in close again, her tone sincere as she mined the depths of her courage. She would be honest with him and damn the consequences. "I want this. _This_. I want to hold onto the feelings I'm experiencing right now." His eyes met hers and she saw his own longing mirrored there, adding fuel to her hope that they shared the same emotional experience. "I refuse to have my life dictated by your psychotic brother."

"I will not have you harmed because Niklaus realises the extent of my feelings for you!" He had raised his voice and she saw it as a mini victory. _My feelings for you_. He _did_ care.

"It's not your choice Elijah! I have a brain of my own and I choose this."

"You have no idea what you're asking. Throughout time, as much as our father hunted us, Niklaus in turn hunted those who brought any glimmer of joy to my life, to Rebekah's life. He cruelly, despite my pleas, dispensed of any…" he struggled for the word, "any _distractions_ which took me from his side."

"I know," she said softly, countering his anger with calm. "I've seen it. You showed me."

"Then you know what you're asking is impossible!"

"I am not Celeste!" Hayley shook her head. "I only know that I refuse to live in fear. I refuse to be dictated to by a narcissistic, self-important, self-righteous, hypocritical- what?!"

Elijah was smiling. But there was a sadness around his eyes. He just shook his head.

"Elijah," Hayley took his hands and brought them to her chest, across her heart. "We crossed a boundary when you took my hand inside that car." He wanted to pull away but she held on. "You know it. And so do I. I will not allow you to step back now. Even if it makes things a thousand times more complicated."

Their eyes locked and she tried to show him everything she felt without saying a word. "My life has always been skirting the frikken edge of disaster," she confessed. "I've never belonged anywhere; I've never stayed in one place for long enough to make friends or be a part of something. I've always been a loner and I guess I thought I kind of preferred that. It's kind of pathetic…" she took a fortifying breath, "but you've been kind to me, Elijah. Kinder than most anyone I've known bar a few child protective services officers." She shrugged wryly, embarrassed. "My life has been a regular train wreck. But I don't want to lose this. I can't lose you. Perhaps I've learned that I'm not such a loner after all."

He pulled her into his arms then and she held on tightly. Everything would work itself out. They would work it out. _Together_.

"I want to be a part of something," she murmured close to his ear. "This family is no Brady bunch. But I want in."

Elijah pulled back, cradling her face in his hands. He placed his lips to hers and she felt her eyes sting with an avalanche of curbed tears when they fluttered shut.

"You are a part of this family. _Always_. And because of that, I must do what you cannot," he whispered against her lips. Her breath released in a shudder as he made solemn vows. It felt like a breakup. She braced for what was coming.

"I will not see you hurt. I will not have you slaughtered while I am powerless to prevent it. I will not have you eradicated from this world forever. I cannot live in a world where you no longer exist, Hayley. If Niklaus had any idea of the depth of my feelings for you, he would dagger me and this time, he would keep me that way until your bones had turned to nothing more than dry earth."

He kissed her cheeks where tears now trickled like dewdrops racing off the petals of a rose.

"What do you feel, Elijah?" she whispered, so low the words were almost indiscernible to anyone but him. But her anger was a silken thread beneath.

"Too much," he said simply," his hands tangled in her hair. "I have never had a greater wish than at this moment… that things could be different," he said. "Be careful."

"Elijah, please…"

Hayley felt a breeze on her wet face and when she opened her eyes, he was gone. The curtains billowed, as they had before he arrived. The house was still and silent. Everything was the same. And yet everything was completely different.

She wiped at her wet face, eventually using her sweater as more tears raced to replace the ones she attempted to stem.

"But you have your duty, to your brother," she whispered into the silence. She felt broken. Klaus would always win wouldn't he? They would all sacrifice everything in search of his elusive salvation.

 _But what about me?_ What about _us?_

The words were inside her head. She dared not even whisper them out loud. They were now her burden to bare, her silent misery.

But still her resolve held firm. She knew the risks. So did Elijah. And it changed nothing. As much as Elijah's burden in his lifetime would be his brother's salvation, hers was now their combined happiness. She would fight for them. She caressed her belly. _All of them._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is for im-girly-get-over-it who posted the following on tumblr:
> 
> I just wanted Hayley and Elijah in that moment of cuteness (fans self!) for Elijah not to say, "I should go," but instead he should've said, "Hayley, I told you there are consequences, and I will not let you take them." Then for her to say, "You know what… To hell with the consequences." Then for her to just kiss him. Him to kiss back… And so on… just a suggestion!
> 
> I liked your suggestion!

_14\. The Magic of You_

An anxious ball of tension. That's what she felt like. Frazzled. _Slightly_ out of control. Worried. Hayley stood on the balcony of her bedroom, looking out over the darkened but colourfully lit streets of a warm night in the French Quarter. It had been more than a day since she had last seen or heard from Elijah. They hadn't had much time to talk then and he had left soon after promising to do what he could for her family of werewolves. She had watched him go, lingering long enough to offer her a silent promise from the depths of his dark eyes.

Despite the tenuous nature of his relationship with Klaus, he had come to rescue her from his brother. _Come, we mustn't linger. We'll get you some place safe._ She smiled a little at that, finding herself spacing out, staring at nothing in particular. Elijah risked the wrath of his brother when he came for her. It warmed her on the inside that he proved continuously that he would protect her and her baby. She'd never known anyone like him. _Ever_.

She cursed Klaus again for his misguided, wounded pride. After a thousand years, you would think he would have learnt that loyalty was not something that could be bought. And yet, clearly, this was not the case. _Dick_.

She learned against the railing and folded her arms. The breeze was cool, gentling her as it caressed her face. She closed her eyes and lifted her face towards it, breathing deeply. She focused on her respiration, trying to release some of the tension she felt unable to shed. Just when she learnt something about her family, like dangling a carrot in front of a horse, it could all be yanked away from her. She cursed under her breath and rolled her shoulders, her sweater falling off and exposing her arm.

Her skin prickled. There was an indiscernible shift in the air and the hairs on the back of her neck tingled. She turned and saw him standing at the opposite end. He was half in shadow, the lights of the city a colourful mosaic behind him. The juxtaposition suited him. Despite the warm evening, he was bundled into a coat, the collar turned up against the breeze. The look suited him, adding to his roguish appeal. Dark. Dangerous. _Gorgeous_.

"Are they-" she was afraid to ask, her throat dry, her nervous energy back. She felt close to tears, afraid of what he would say next.

"They're safe." A small reassuring smile. She loved him for it. "All of them." It was like a promise, the way he said it. And his face, he had a _satisfied_ smirk. Hayley turned away for a moment, overcome with emotion. She was relieved, her anxiety pouring from her in waves. She blinked twice and looked back at him. He now stood in the light, having stepped onto the balcony fully. _He is my champion_ , she thought. _In everything_. She did the only thing she wanted to do since she had seen him the day before. She stretched out her arms, wanting to be in her safest place, and he welcomed her into his embrace.

Their bodies collided, her little bump secure between them. Hayley closed her eyes and held on tight, raising onto her toes to get closer. She cupped her hand to the nape of his neck, breathing in his fresh, now familiar scent. She shuddered a little when his arms wrapped around her back. There was a gentle pull on her scalp and she knew his hand had fisted into the hair which hung loose down her back.

"Thank you." They held on for a while and she pulled back a fraction, a frisson running down her spine when his arms locked, holding her in place, _close_.

"What you did, Elijah. It means a lot." And it did. It meant _everything_. No one had ever done anything close to this for her. He kept purposefully breaking down all the barriers she had spent a lifetime erecting. In his gentle, but firm way, Elijah stood as the only man she ever truly trusted. With her own life, her newfound family's life and the life of her baby.

His hands cupped her bare shoulder, pulling at the sweater that had slipped off. "You should keep this covered." He couldn't meet her gaze.

"I will," she vowed.

"If any of the others saw this-" he continued.

"I promise," she reiterated, willing him to finally look at her.

Hayley watched as his eyes roamed over her before meeting her gaze directly. She couldn't look away, even if she tried. Butterflies flapped in her middle, making her slightly breathless. She should have been used to this by now. It was pretty much how she felt every time he walked into a room. Involuntarily, her hand fisted onto the lapel of his jacket and her eyes drifted to his lips and then back to meet his gaze. But this time, he was looking at her mouth and without conscious thought, she licked her lips.

Like the inevitable gravitational pull that kept the world on even keel, she leaned into him and he to her. Her lips parted as she watched his open and the world that had been in perfect orbit, tilted. Chemistry was a strange thing. Intangible and yet so very real. Hayley felt the air charge between them and her eyelids became heavy. She wondered what his lips felt like, what he tasted like. Her fisted hand gripped his lapel harder, and she didn't even realise she pulled him towards her.

"I should go."

She blinked a few times, her brain struggling to keep up with her riotous emotions. She wasn't sure what response she made, it sounded garbled, confused, _disappointed_ even to her. "Right."

 _Whatever_. That was actually what she wanted to say but bit her tongue. Disappointment was a bitter pill to swallow. She admitted this to herself. She was disappointed because Elijah Mikaelson did not want to kiss her. _And I desperately want to kiss him_.

Hayley turned to look at him and she felt her resolve strengthen. _Oh what the hell, fuck it._ The hands that had dropped to her sides reached back up to the lapels of his coat and she yanked him forward.

"Hayley, no. I told you there are consequences," he said, his hands gripping hers around her wrists, "and I will not let you take that risk."

She might have pulled back, had his eyes not flicked down to her lips again and then stared. _He wanted this as much as she did._

Hayley tugged harder, pulling him within inches of her. "FYI… to hell with the consequences."

She hauled him all the way over and pressed her lips to his. In reality, he'd actually met her halfway, their lips colliding with single-minded, delightful purpose. His hands let her wrists go and ran down her arms, the one coming to rest in the dip of her spine, the other going to the nape of her neck. Hayley stepped even closer, again reaching onto her toes to get better access to him. The kiss was hot, became increasingly demanding and passionate.

Her hands found his hair and tugged at what little she could get her hands on. His tongue brushed hers and she moaned, biting gently into his bottom lip.

"Hayley," he breathed but she pressed her lips to his again, silencing him. His hands cupped her bottom, pressing her against him. Lust exploded inside of her. She broke apart for a second, only because she needed to breathe. His lips blazed across her face, finding the pulse at the base of her throat, his teeth scraping there.

She gasped and simultaneously her knees buckled. With her back slightly bowed, her hair spilling through his hands, his hips pressed into her, _his teeth at her neck_ , her breathing ragged and erratic, Hayley realised that it was most likely the single most erotic moment of her life.

She couldn't hear anything except for the roaring in her ears. Her hands had a will of their own, travelling all over him, anywhere they could reach. She groaned in frustration when it became evident that his jacket was an unwanted barrier. She wanted to be closer to him, touch him. And the damned thing made it near impossible.

"I need…" she whispered in frustration.

He chuckled then, turning her around in his arms and pulling her back against him. His arms wrapped around her, his hands resting on her swollen belly.

She frowned, her breathing heavy and turned to look at him. His exposed neck was within her reach and so she placed a kiss there.

"Hayley," he cautioned with a groan of his own. "Some distance is required."

"Then why am I still in your arms?" Her lips pressed to his throat again as her hands found his and their fingers linked.

"I thought facing you away from me might yield different results. And yet I see I have gravely miscalculated your charms."

There was a smile in his voice and she smiled up at him in return. A heartbeat passed and his lips pressed to hers. A soft, sweet kiss over her shoulder. Hunger flared between them again but he pulled away, placing a final kiss to her temple.

"I must go."

"Don't." She hadn't meant to say that. But it was out and she realised she meant it.

He shook his head. "I must speak with Niklaus." He smiled wryly, referring to what had just happened between them. "In a thousand years, I admit that this is not the best idea I have ever had." Her chest hurt at that. "But I cannot get myself to regret it for one moment."

Hayley turned then and hugged him hard.

"Damn straight," was all she whispered. His chuckled soothed, but all too soon, he stepped back. "Be careful," she cautioned. He winked in her direction and then he was gone.

Hayley sighed out loud, leaning back against the railing in a mass of jumbled nerves. Her hands went to her lips, pressing to the swollen, puckered flesh.

 _Wow_. She smiled a little, but it soon wrapped itself around her face. Hayley put her fingers to her lips in an attempt to stem the irrational happiness that gripped her. She felt like her body was composed of a thousand interconnected, flashing lights. Her nerve endings _literally_ felt like they hummed. _Wow_. _Who knew Elijah Mikaelson was such a good kisser?_

"We might just have to try that again," she whispered to herself. _I can't frikken wait._


	15. Chapter 15

_15\. Third Times A Charm_

She had experienced Braxton Hicks twice. The first time, she'd been out with Rebekah. Hayley had never seen the vampire go paler than her usual, permanent pallor. But Rebekah had. She'd also fumbled over her words, her arms had flailed and then she'd panicked. Although, to hear the tale told later, there had been no panic, only cool, calm control. Between the two of them though, it was a hilarious lie.

Klaus had been concerned. He might even have rubbed her shoulder as a comforting gesture. Elijah however… Rebekah had made a flippant comment about how Elijah had paced around as if he were the expectant father. Hayley had stared at her then, like a fish out of water. Rebekah looked guilty for saying what she'd said and had hastily exited the room. _As if he were the expectant father._

The second time, she had been having a particularly loud argument with Klaus in his study.

"You're being a frikken ass!"

"I would mind the tone, little wolf," he cautioned.

"Or what?! Still pregnant remember? Too early to have me dragged off to whatever torture you have planned for me."

"Hayley, I swear I could-"

That's when she'd hunched over, a moan of pain escaping from her lips. Hayley clutched at her belly, her breath coming out in short spurts. The cramping was back, again centred around her abdomen.

Klaus was at her side in an instant, all animosity aside. In reality, deep down, she knew they both enjoyed their verbal skirmishes. In the last few months of her pregnancy, when it mattered, he wasn't always kind, but he was attentive.

"I should get you to a hospital."

"And tell them what? That a werewolf will be birthing… _something_?" She gasped as the pain intensified. It was a fear she had lately. Not really understanding what this baby would be.

"Come now, love," he said softly. There was deep concern etched on his face. "You know I meant the doctor you've been seeing out in the bayou."

"The new and improved Dr. JT Tobias who isn't trying to kill my baby."

"Our baby," he corrected. Klaus had led her over to the sofa and rubbed her lower back soothingly. It was something, she mused, that he'd actually learnt from Elijah. The elder vampire often rubbed her lower back in firm concentric circles.

"It's passed," she whispered, feeling the pain predictably fade. She breathed out a sigh of relief. She was 38 weeks pregnant. Birthing this baby was eminent.

"Let's get the good bayou doctor to confirm that."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Really, it's Braxton Hicks. It's quite normal. _I think_ ," she muttered to herself. There was only so much that _What To Expect When You're Expecting_ taught a first time, expectant mother. But the last time she'd been whisked to the bayou doctor by a then panicked Rebekah, he had told her that it was a common occurrence.

Klaus planted his feet firmly, crossing his arms across his chest. This was his combative stance, she had come to realise. They were about to fight again.

"Hayley-" he began.

"And just when I was thinking that we were getting along so well-" she interjected.

This is what Elijah walked into. As always, just seeing him made butterflies take flight. These days however, she wasn't sure if it _was_ butterflies or if it was just the baby who also recognised her uncle and his effect on her mother.

"I seem to have walked into a little spat," he said, immediately and perhaps subconsciously positioning himself at Hayley's side.

"I'm trying to tell your brother that it's not necessary to bother the doctor every time I get a twinge in my belly. I'm not in labour. Look at me!" she threw her hands up in the air. "I'm fine. The baby's fine."

"Not a minute ago she was hunched over, gasping for air." Klaus gestured irritably to where she'd been standing before he'd led her over to her present perch. "You will visit the doctor Hayley-"

"You do not frikken own my body! I will not-"

"Hayley," Elijah said, calling an end to their discourse. "For once, I do agree with my brother Niklaus. It might be best."

"Finally reason and sanity returns," Klaus said. His mobile rang and he looked at the screen. "This is not over," he warned. "A moment." He stepped from the room.

"Not you too," she huffed, irritated. "Really, I'm fine."

His smile was indulgent, playful even as he sent a quick wink in her direction. "What my brother cannot express adequately is that he is concerned about you." She rolled her eyes. "As am I."

He came to kneel in front of her and her heart tripped a little at seeing the dark haired, impeccably suited vampire kneeling at her feet. There was a fantasy in there somewhere, she knew.

"I beg your indulgence," he began in that soft way, the way she knew would end one way. She would let him have his way. Hayley scowled at her weakness.

"Let Niklaus take you to see the doctor." She began to protest but he continued. "To set his mind at ease. And," he continued in a softer whisper, "to set mine at ease as well."

His eyes were dark and earnest, but around his mouth a small smile played. He was utterly charming and she felt disarmed, his hands resting on the sides of the sofa, effectively boxing her in.

"You do know this is the _second_ visit in a few weeks right? _Third_ actually, if you count the fact that Klaus has Dr Tobias on speed dial," she huffed. He smiled then, because she knew he realised he'd won. "He's going to think I'm involved with a bunch of freaks," she muttered defensively.

"Our family has been called worse over the centuries. I'm sure he understands our… _unique_ circumstances." She shook her head as he spoke, but a smile was already tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Thank you."

"It's only because you make it hard to say no," she admitted grudgingly.

His head cocked to the side and reluctantly, he straightened, taking a step back. Klaus walked into the room with purpose.

"Elijah, there's some unfortunate business which requires my particular attention. If it is not an imposition, would you be so kind as to escort Hayley to the doctor's office?"

Hayley was surprised. He actually looked disappointed at having the duty passed to his brother.

"You look disappointed, brother." Elijah seemed to have picked up on the same thing. After a minute, he said, "perhaps I could attend to your problem," he offered, "free you to see to Hayley and the child." _Ever noble_ , she mused. _Even when in this case, she didn't need it._

"I haven't even agreed to this," Hayley called, now moody and unreasonably irritated, especially when Elijah's perfect brow rose with query in her direction. She knew she should admire the fact that he would do the honourable thing. But she couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Klaus clasped his brother's shoulder. "Thank you, Elijah. But I must see to this matter in person." To Hayley he said, "if anyone can get you to do anything, it's Elijah. He has that way about him. Besides, you're sure it's only Braxton Hicks." And with that insightful bombshell, he turned to leave them alone, but stopped just before the exit. "I called the office. He's expecting you." The front door closed with an unusually soft click.

"Unbelievable," she scoffed. "Dr Tobias must think we're insane."

Elijah stretched out his hand to her. "Shall we?"

She didn't hesitate. Hayley reached out both hands and Elijah took one in each of his, tugging gently until she stood on her feet, the large dome of her belly between them. She didn't let go of his hands, and neither did he. So they just hung beside her extended waistline until she squeezed his fingers gently. She did this instead of what she felt like doing, swinging their hands together excitedly.

"I'm not sure if we're ready for another road trip." She wasn't a love sick teenager. Although sometimes, especially when she was in the company of this man, she felt that way. Her heart felt light and happy. She couldn't remember ever feeling that way. She also couldn't help waiting for something to go horribly wrong.

He looked down at their hands and she bit her lip at the dark head bent so intently.

"Shall we?" she reminded, her cheeks going a little red because she couldn't hide her reaction to him. He was a force field and she would always be pulled into his orbit.

He inclined his head and reluctantly stepped back. Outside, his back Mercedes was parked in the drive. Hayley shrugged into her denim jacket and stopped. Elijah was already walking ahead and turned to look back at her.

"Would you mind? Driving my car instead?"

A hand rested in the pocket of his dark grey suit pants. "You have a preference?"

"Not particularly," she joined him in the middle of the drive. "But I've been chaperoned in Lincoln's and sports cars, Range Rovers and sedans. I'm kind of craving something familiar." It felt silly saying it out loud. But it was the truth. Nothing here actually belonged to her. Her car; that was all she really owned.

Elijah stepped forward and to her surprise, placed a kiss to her forehead, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Alright," was all he said before he disappeared. Hayley blinked twice. It still took her a minute sometimes, to catch up with how fast he was able to move.

She heard the roar of the engine first before she saw the black Mustang round the corner. Hayley didn't know a large smile had wrapped itself around her face.

When he stepped out from the driver's seat, she shouted, "my baby!"

"Yes, of the mechanical variety," he teased.

She cupped her belly and shot him a mischievous smile. " _Almost_ as precious. But not quite."

Elijah opened the passenger side with a chuckle. "Under different circumstances, I might have offered you the keys."

"Don't I know it." Hayley sighed loudly for dramatic effect. "It's enough though," she said as she settled into the familiar interior, running her hand lovingly across the dash, "to just be this close to something that's actually my own."

When he got in beside her, the interior felt smaller than she remembered. He tended to take up a lot of the space available. She suspected that might be the case even if they were standing in a deserted football stadium.

The drive was short, but she settled into the seat and closed her eyes, lulled into a comfortable silence. Before long though, the engine died and Elijah touched her arm gently.

"We're here. Any pain?"

Her head rolled towards him and her eyes opened. "No." He was so close, she had the overwhelming urge to place her lips to the dent in his chin.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and watched him exit.

* * *

The doctor who had seen to her after the first witch inspired disaster, was a specialist in supernatural pregnancies, illness – well, most things, Hayley later learned. But he wasn't the doctor who walked in when she settled onto the examination table. This man was older, around fifty, had a full head of grey hair, sparkling, wintery blue eyes and a stodgy build. He looked like Father Christmas. Or Freud, she thought with a frown. She couldn't decide.

When he introduced himself, he had a noticeable French accent. Dr Jean-Luc Beauchene was a native to the area. She did recall her Dr Tobias mentioning his partner. But she'd never met him. Until now.

"Dr. Tobias is in New Mexico. There's a conference on _inter-species cross DNA and its impact on the evolutionary tract of supernatural beings_." He grimaced. " _Mon Dieu!_ Can you believe such an event exists in this modern world! _Je sais_ , a mouthful," he waved his hand dismissively, " _mais_ very cutting edge, you understand." His accent was more prominent on certain words. _Understand_ was decidedly French in its pronunciation. "Now, Hayley, Dr. Tobias has given me the basic rundown of your condition."

He held the chart open in front of him. "Yes, yes, I see," he muttered, as if that made sense.

Hayley stole a glance at Elijah. On the outside, the Original vampire looked calm, collected. The casual hand in his pocket as he leaned a hip against the bed beside her was deceptive. Hayley could tell however, by the small furrow between his brows that the doctor confused him as much as he did her.

Strangely, Dr Beauchene's eccentric, inane chatter was oddly comforting to her. Especially when he mixed French with English, as if she naturally understood every word. In his defence, it was pretty simple to discern his meaning. He was one of the more spontaneous and genuine people she had met since coming to New Orleans. She liked him.

"Now, _je comprends,_ this is the third bout of Braxton Hicks, yes?"

"Second, actually. I was here a week ago. And there might have been a few panicked calls." She rolled her eyes. "Those were false alarms."

Elijah turned to leave but the doctor stopped him. " _Non, non Monsieur_ , no need to be squeamish. You were there when the deed was done, _oui_?" Dr Beauchene smiled good naturedly.

Hayley sputtered, her eyes round, amused, exasperated, astounded at the absurdity of it all. _How did this become my life?_

"Elijah's no-"

"This is all quite normal," he prattled on. "And, the uncomfortable examinations ended in the first trimester. Do stay, _s'il vous plaît_. Research indicates that wives find the presence of their husbands soothing during this period. Perhaps not during the birth," he winked at Hayley, "this is usually when husbands are least useful – to the mother and the doctor." He laughed at his own joke and Hayley had to do much to hold back the hysterical giggle bubbling inside of her.

"Yes," Elijah drawled, his own voice amused. "This is my understanding of matters as well."

"A man of intellect I see," the doctor said. "Closer. Hold your wife's hand _Monsieur_ Mikaelson," he beseeched good naturedly. "Prodromal labour can be a stressful. And the last thing we want an expectant mother to be is stressed, _non_?"

"I don't- this really isn't-" Hayley met Elijah's eyes and his brown ones were more amused than she had seen in… well, for as long as she'd known him really.

"Yes, Darling. I wouldn't want to cause you any undue distress. Your hand please?"

 _Darling?_ Hayley raised a brow. He was teasing her. She clamped her lips shut to suppress a nervous giggle and gave him the hand closest, her left. His hand was solid, cool and very comforting. Despite the kooky nature of the doctor, he might be onto something. She relaxed and watched as Dr Beauchene washed his hands before coming over and asking permission to examine her belly.

"May I?" she nodded and he raised her sweater, exposing her stomach, leaving her breasts covered, but barely.

She wanted to cast a look in Elijah's direction, but she was too embarrassed. So she focused on the doctors ministrations instead.

He probed here and there, muttering to himself. "Ah, _le bébé_ is active, strong. Let us have a better look, shall we?"

Clear jelly was applied to her stomach and the ultrasound wand moved over the surface. Beside her, Elijah had gone still. She chanced a look on his face – it was mesmerized, she supposed. His hand had tightened around hers. His smile was bashful, proud, pleased.

"Elijah?"

Dr Beauchene looked to him too. "Ah yes, father's always have the same look when they see their little girls. It's always magic _Monsieur_ Mikaelson?" he didn't wait for a response. "See the limbs and how she is waving her little hands? Very active, very active indeed. _Très belle._ "

"She certainly looks comfortable," Elijah said.

Her eyes flickered to the monitor but quickly returned to him. She had seen the sonogram many times before. But this was Elijah's first time at the doctors with her; he had never had to accompany her before. Seeing her baby through his eyes brought tears to her own. This wasn't _their_ baby though. No matter how much she wished things could be different. The thought jolted her. Had her feelings for him progressed so rapidly in such a short space that she would wish him the father of her child? The thought was sobering and she looked back to the image on the little screen.

"I look forward to making her acquaintance." Elijah turned his delighted smile at her and her chest expanded. Her other hand found his and she squeezed back. No words were needed between them. As always, their silence spoke volumes. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. Hayley leaned into him. _She was happy._

"You should be aware, Hayley, that you are officially on baby watch. _Monsieur_ , keep her well rested. No strenuous exercise. No undue exertion or stress. Your baby might be due any day now. The Braxton Hicks is a necessary annoyance."

He wiped the jelly off her rounded tummy with wads of white paper towels and gently replaced her sweater.

"So she goes home with me and we wait?" Elijah asked, staring at the tiny picture of the baby the doctor had passed him.

" _Précisément_. Precisely." To Hayley he said, "I would suggest you give him a list of all the things you want with you when the time comes. My advice," he said to Elijah, patting him on the shoulder good naturedly, his grey eyebrows wiggling with mirth. "Do as she says, _oui_?"

He looked at Hayley, helping her to her feet and whispered only for her, "that is something a thousand years has taught me at least."

Back in the Quarter, Elijah turned off the ignition. " _Retour à la maison dans Vieux Carré_ ," he said.

"Of course you speak French. I'm beginning to see how centuries might have some small perks." _And he sounded damned good speaking it_. That she kept to herself.

"A few."

"That was-" she began.

"Yes, awkward adventures seem to be our thing, isn't it?"

"I wasn't aware we had a thing," she said with a cheeky grin.

"Neither was I. And yet it seems we cannot escape the… awkward," he finished with a low laugh.

"You just pretended to be my husband. I think we've quite possibly transcended awkward." He was looking through the windscreen and she noticed his jaw tense slightly.

"As you pretended to be my wife." Silence. "Sometimes a little roleplay is good for the soul."

Hayley rubbed her belly. "Or it makes us realise what the things are we can never have." _Why had she said that out loud?_ Her face burned with embarrassment and she looked out the window.

"Yes." She turned back and he was staring at the baby's sonogram picture. A small piece of her heart broke then. Elijah would never be a father. She was sure he would've been a good one.

"I was happy you were with me."

"So am I. It is a miracle, is it not? This tiny, perfect life, so filled with possibilities."

"I am worried," she confessed. "About the baby."

He frowned. "Dr Beauchene seemed sure that all is well with the child."

"I know. It's just… she isn't exactly…" Hayley struggled for the world, " _normal_ , I guess. Her parents are supernatural beings. Vampire hybrid and werewolf. What will she be?" It was the first time she had opened up to anyone about her fears. "I know that the tests tell us she is fine. _She seems human_. But what about the stuff tests can't tell us Elijah? The witches-"

"-have their own agenda. We know this. And until the child is born, there is no need to worry about this." Her hands fidgeted in her lap and so he placed his over hers. "She will be loved, whatever her biological fate."

She linked their fingers, tracing the outline of his knuckles. "Maybe she'll have some cool superpowers," she said lightly.

He chuckled. "I think both her mother and her father have some cool powers as is."

"Thank you. For always knowing just what to say."

"A thousand years has a way of giving most things some perspective."

His eyes were dark and broody and it was time she made her exit. Ordinarily, she would have bolted from the car. But in her pregnant state, such a thing was an impossibility. But Elijah was there, opening the door, passing her a hand to help her alight.

Standing beside him, she realised she was tired. The sullenness was also back. This frikken baby was wreaking havoc with her damned mood. _Bloody hell._ She smiled to herself. She was starting to think like Rebekah.

"Are you alright?"

She shrugged. "Just tired, is all. I think I'm going to take a nap. Although, if my vibrating mobile is anything to go by, I might have to deal with Klaus before then."

"Hayley, I-"

Elijah's voice droned out. She felt a flush of embarrassment, swift and fast, flood her face. Her muscles tensed, she wanted to be anywhere but where she was, and with whom.

Her eyes were round when they met his.

"What is it? You look… panicked."

 _Mortified,_ was more like it. Together, their eyes travelled down, both noticing the large wet patch that covered her crotch, thighs and was now slowly pooling at her feet.

"Tell me that's not what I think it is." She might have laughed at his slightly terrified expression, had she not still been reeling from her own embarrassment.

"No, I didn't pee my pants."

"I was actually hoping you had," he said, the terrified expression had not abated, his dry tone almost making her giggle.

"Charming," she said. "But I think my water just broke."

His only response was an almost silent, " _fuck_."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the purpose of this drabble, hayley and klaus did have a one night stand, but there was never any baby.

_16\. Always and Forever_

"You're fretting brother, you never fret."

Elijah turned from the mirror and looked at his sister who lounged in the doorway of his bedroom. A small smile barely lifted the sides of his mouth before he turned his attention back to his tie. He had done this a thousand times and yet his usually dexterous fingers just refused to co-operate.

"Some help perhaps?" Rebekah asked, a huge smile on her face, or a smirk. He wasn't quite sure. She had already come to stand between him and the mirror, her high heels clicking as she walked across the wooden floor.

"Fretting _and_ frowning? What have you been reduced to?" She waved his fingers away and took charge of his tie, expertly binding it into a stylish knot.

"Always determined to torment me," he said with the same small smile. This time, the corners lifted a little more. In fact, some of laugh lines around his mouth began to show.

"Well, we've always belonged to each other," she said, her hands brushing away imaginary lint from his shoulders. "You, me, Nik. And now you will belong to another. I thought it best to get the last dig in there." Her tone was light but the words held _something_. Something sad.

Elijah caught the melancholy in her voice and caught her roving hands with his. "Nothing changes."

Tears threatened and she blinked them away with a laugh – the effervescent laugh that was so much a part of her. He hadn't heard much of it in decades past. But that seemed to be changing.

"You're a thousand years old brother. You know nothing if you believe that."

His head inclined in acknowledgement of that. "Then I promise that not _all_ things will change," he amended.

"Some things will and should," she finished with a smile. Then, "bloody hell, you're nervous," she said, incredulous. "I knew you were a little unsteady brother, barely able to knot your tie," she teased, "but Elijah-"

"Forgive me; I've never been married before."

The siblings stood in silence for a while. Rebekah met his eyes. "You're going to be a wonderful husband. You know that right?"

"In a thousand years, there is very little that is a novel experience for me. I have done… most everything. Except this one thing," he confessed. He let his uncertainty show for a minute and was grateful when his sister intuitively understood.

"She adores you. By the grace of some unknown fate, Niklaus has sanctioned this incredible crazy. We've made a home here, the first in centuries. And most importantly Elijah," she rested her arms on his shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact with her. "We're happy. All of us." She paused, raising an amused, if quizzical brow. " _We're happy_. Even Niklaus." They could both barely believe their luck.

"Reading between your succinct summation, you advise to 'grab what happiness I can'."

Rebekah shrugged. "We've lived in the grey for far too long. Do not dwell on the unknown… or the past."

Elijah pulled his sister into a tight embrace. "I love you Rebekah. I confess that I do not say it often enough." In there somewhere was a silent _thank you_.

He felt her arms tighten around him before she pulled back, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I love you too." Then she purposefully sighed off the sentimentality and became almost matter-of-fact. "I purposefully don't say it more often, to keep you in line, you understand." Elijah chuckled then. "Now, before we drown in tears and I ruin my make-up, it's time for us to get going. Ready?"

Her hands rested on hips clad in a flowing cobalt floor-length gown. The dress was simple and elegant, with a deep V-neck and two tiny straps running across each shoulder until they crisscrossed around her back. Around her waistline was a band in the same chiffon fabric, cinching her waist. The only jewellery she wore was a diamond tennis bracelet and matching diamond studs. Her hair was swept to the side, shimmering blonde waves held in place by a white orchid.

"Is my bride ready?" Elijah watched her eyes roll, their colour accentuated by the deep cobalt of the dress.

"I'm not entirely sure. Although she should be by now."

His eyes narrowed. "Perhaps I am experiencing a momentary lapse, but I thought you were her helping her get ready."

"I was. Until she demanded I leave." She couldn't meet his eyes. "Something about being bossy and controlling and this is her wedding day and she wants to make some of the decisions. I forget."

"Rebekah-" he began.

"Bloody hell Elijah! I know! I know. Perhaps I was a tad… forceful."

Elijah shook his head. "I'll get her."

"Seriously? Are no traditions sacred?"

Elijah walked past her, putting his arm around her shoulders as he guided her alongside him. "If memory serves," he drawled lazily into her ear, "she slept in my bed last night. I think we can both agree that there are certain superstitions this family will not adhere to."

Rebekah just shook her head. "Do hurry then. There isn't much time left."

Elijah nodded and made his way across the passage to another room. It had been her room before she'd permanently moved in with him. The door was open and he peaked inside. She stood before the large rectangular mirror, moving this way and that. Her hair was tied in one of those loose, wispy, seemingly effortless upstyles. And at present, she was trying to zip up the back of a lace wedding gown.

He stood transfixed for a moment, watching her twirl around in the late afternoon sun. She looked beautiful in a vintage, ivory coloured lace gown. The dress was a mermaid style with half sleeves, cascading to the ground in a graceful pool of satin. The lace overlay was scalloped around the sweetheart neckline and around the cut-out at the back, flowing into a little train. Around her waist was a beaded silver belt, adding dimension and contrast while accentuating the tiny span of her waistline.

Since she'd discharged Rebekah from her duties, his bride seemed to be having some problems zipping up the back of her gown.

"Need any help?" he drawled, amused.

She turned and saw him, pleasure burgeoning across her face. "You might need to use all of your vampire strength. I swear Rebekah had Carolina Herrera tailor this gown to ensure that I couldn't frikken breathe. At all."

She turned and presented him with her back, looking over her shoulder as he stepped close and brushed his fingers across her bare skin. They were both lost for a second before he remembered his duty. Despite her words, he effortlessly zipped up the dress. He met her eyes in the mirror, his jaw dropping a little at the final effect.

"Not bad, I guess," she said as she reached behind her and linked their hands at her back.

"I think you look lovely," he said, knowing that he could not express fully how he felt in that moment, most words inadequate.

"You know its bad luck, to see the bride on her wedding day."

He leaned down and placed a kiss to her neck. Her hand automatically went to his hair, curling into him. "I think I made my thoughts on that particular superstition clear last night," he said between soft kisses, his smile evident against her skin as his lips pressed there.

"Elijah?"

"Yes?"

"I don't think this is a good idea…" Her voice was breathy and she was already starting to turn in his arms. He knew _that_ would be a bad idea. They didn't have the time to finish what they had just started.

So he placed a final kiss just below her jawline and looked back into the mirror, noting that her eyes were closed and she didn't seem to be listening.

"Hayley." Her eyes popped open, meeting his with clear minded purpose. "Let's get married."

She blew him a kiss and he chuckled as he looked around for her veil and her bouquet. "I thought you'd never ask."

At sunset, beneath a simple flowered arbour in the manicured backyard of the Mikaelson southern plantation, Elijah Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall pledged themselves to each other eternally. For supernatural beings, the ceremony was uncannily human in its execution. There was a minister who recited something simple from the scriptures. Elijah could not recall much of it. Neither could his bride he learnt later. All he saw was her - her luminous eyes, permanent smile, the wisps of hair that framed her face and danced in the gentle breeze, the way her hands held his, alternatively squeezing or brushing her fingers across his. And finally the way the setting sun made everything glow around them. This was what he told himself. The alternative was that it was merely the glow of infinite happiness.

Elijah's eyes stayed on her face as he slipped a platinum band onto the third finger of her left hand, complimenting the ring already resting there. It had never been off her finger since their engagement. Her ring was an original 1920's art deco antique. He had searched for a while, not settling until he had found the perfect balance of modern and an era gone by. The platinum band had a Royal Crown filigree setting, completely crafted by hand, with an intricately engraved wheat pattern on all 3 outward facing sides. The edges were adorned with a light scattering millgrain edging.

Rebekah had called the ring, 'beautiful and entirely romantic'. He had to agree. It was what had appealed to him when he had first seen it. As he turned Hayley's hand slightly, he briefly admired the 8 prong setting for the 1.2 carat centre stone.

"You may kiss the bride."

Elijah's eyes met Hayley's, _his wife's_ , and he felt a weight he had not known rested there, lift from his shoulders.

Hayley's smile bubbled into laughter as she leaned in, reeling him closer, her ring sparking as her hand cupped the side of his neck.

"Mr. Mikaelson. You are allowed to kiss me."

He smiled back, swooping in. "An oversight I will remedy immediately."

The kiss was passionate and all too brief. They had no reception planned, with only Rebekah and Niklaus as their witnesses.

Turning, Rebekah launched herself into his arms. "Congratulations big brother." He held her very tightly for a moment before she moved on to Hayley. "I guess this officially makes you sister!" he heard Rebekah squeal at Hayley. But he was focused on his brother.

Niklaus came next. Their eventual embrace was slower and somehow, more emotional.

"Thank you," Elijah said when they pulled apart.

Niklaus looked moody, perhaps contemplative was a better word he thought, but not unhappy. His smile was therefore small, but genuine. "Who am I brother, to stand in the path of true love?"

"Brother-" Elijah began.

Klaus stopped him. "We have tread across this ground before Elijah. Let us not dwell in the past."

Elijah only nodded, reminded of Rebekah's earlier words. They had all come a long way. With his bride's hand in his own, the two couples made their way into the lounge where drinks and canape's had been prepared.

"Now," Klaus said, champagne in hand. "My big brother, and dare I say his wife," he added with a smirk, "and I have not always seen eye to eye. In fact, the last decade or so has been, shall we say, a bit of a challenge."

Rebekah snorted while Elijah and Hayley smiled at the gross understatement.

"But like all things, this family has rallied and born it all with triumphant aplomb." He sobered for a moment. "It has not always been easy Elijah, Rebekah, Hayley," he tipped his glass in her direction, "but this outcome does seem like it was an inevitability from the moment you two met. Perhaps I should pride myself on the fact that had it not been for my," he smiled sheepishly, " _involvement_ , fleeting as it was, you might not have met. And if so, I might never have seen my brother as happy as I do now."

Elijah felt Hayley's hand tighten around his own and he squeezed back. "You have never given up on me brother. And so, it is time that I begin to prove myself worthy of your faith and indeed the love of this family. So, a toast…" His eyes met Elijah's. "To family. Always and forever."

Elijah touched his glass to his wife's, then Rebekah's and then his brothers. They nodded. Finally, there was an understanding.

"Hey," Hayley pressed a kiss to his jawline, reaching on tip toe, her heels long discarded. "Where did you go?"

He shook his head. "Nowhere. Just lost in thought." He brushed her hair from her forehead, her veil long discarded as well. He was looking forward to removing all those pins from her hair.

"Klaus is leaving. Caroline's flight is landing soon."

Elijah raised his brow. "I heard the move might be permanent." His fingers started plucking at the pins and one curl after another began dropping past her shoulders.

"You might have heard correctly," Rebekah interjected as she gulped down the last bit of her champagne. "How fortuitous. With Nik just as whipped as you are – yes, I said whipped," she said at Elijah's furrowed brow, "it has become possible for us to finally celebrate something in this family."

"Can't believe it's been almost three years," Hayley said, standing close to her husband, one arm around his waist.

"Never thought I'd like her to be bloody honest," Rebekah said. "But she's managed to get our brother in line while hell hasn't frozen over."

"You never thought you'd like me," Hayley added. "And looked how that turned out."

Rebekah pouted. "True. Married to an Original." She set down her glass. "And on that note, I will leave you both. Enjoy the evening." She winked before leaving.

"And like that, we're all alone in this mansion," Hayley said, turning into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her hair was loose now, tumbling down her back in long curls.

"I am sorry we have to wait a while before taking some time alone together. With Niklaus and Marcel-"

Hayley placed her fingers to his lips, effectively silencing him. In turn, Elijah fisted his hands in her hair and drew her lips to his for a searing kiss, his fingers travelling to the zip at the back of her gown.

"You looked beautiful today," he whispered close to her ear.

"So did you. Tom Ford would be proud."

He chuckled. "And despite your beauty in this gown, I confess," he said as he swung her into his arms. "I have spent most of the afternoon with thoughts of relieving you of the burden of it."

Hayley's arms wrapped around him as he began the climb the stairs, her hands going to his tie, pulling at the knot, unbuttoning his shirt and placing kisses to the exposed skin.

"The burden?"

"Yes. I do so wish to always endeavour to make you comfortable."

"And relieving me of my clothing would make me… and you… most comfortable?" she teased back.

"Infinitely." They kissed as they reached the top of the stairs and he made for their bedroom. Walking across the threshold, there were candles burning everywhere – big fat ones, smaller ones, tall ones, tealights. The room was aglow.

"Rebekah," they both said simultaneously.

Elijah set her down, but not outside of the circle of his arms.

"I love you." It was a quiet, solemn vow, uttered with conviction and utter devotion. "Always and forever."

She framed his face and he saw her soul bared in her eyes. "Always and forever," she whispered back, placing a soft kiss to his lips. He felt her smile. "Now husband, about relieving me of this dress…"

"My pleasure madam."


	17. Chapter 17

_17\. Apologies Are Not Just Words_

Hayley stopped for a moment and evaluated her progress. Her room was a mess. An absolute mess. Much like her frikken life. She felt a fresh wave of tears hit the back of her throat and huffed out a breath, spurred back into action. If she moved, she couldn't think. If she couldn't think, she couldn't feel. That was the theory anyway. The practical, well, that needed some refinement.

There were moments in her life when the guilt she felt over an action had made her physically ill. Today had been one of those days. She felt close to hating herself for the stupid trust she had placed in Sophie. But if she was honest, it had less to do with Sophie and more to do with the hurt she had caused Elijah. As a cold comfort, she reminded herself it had been for her people. The thing was, it served as no comfort at all.

Her vision blurred, turning the room into a watercolour, hues of creams and browns. She hadn't had anyone believe in her for a long time. And due to her stupid actions, she had lost his trust, his faith and her heart whispered, his _affection_.

"Stupid Hayley," she mouthed, the words a wobbly, low jumble. She was annoyed at herself for crying too. But she couldn't seem to stem the tears, no matter how much she steeled against it. She'd even temporarily managed to drum up some anger towards him for not going through with his threatened kiss in the rain. But the anger had been short-lived.

His face kept dancing before her. His _disappointment_. His anger had come afterwards - that she could handle. But not his disappointment. Especially when she knew he was right. He had done everything for her, risked the wrath of his brother, told her the truth, always, and in one stupid moment, she had lost his trust, _everything_.

Hayley zipped her backpack and didn't look back. It was time to get out of New Orleans.

The compound was in chaos as she quietly made her way outside. The devastation of the wind, the rain and the fire was everywhere. Already Klaus's minions were setting the place to rights. And as such, no one paid her any attention. She was surprised by the regret she felt as she kept to the shadows. This place really had become her home. She hadn't even realised it.

She stopped at the massive gates and glanced around. _No one_. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed at the large, wooden door. As it swung outward, the soft breeze hit her face, drying some of the wetness on her cheeks. It had also started drizzling, soothing the scorched earth. Hayley took a fortifying breath and pulled up the hood of her jacket, making the move to leave.

"Hayley." She didn't turn around but her heart rate sped up drastically. _Fuck_. "Just where the bloody hell do you think you're going?"

She closed her eyes and prayed for patience. She took a minute before turning to face her discoverer.

"Just going for a walk is all."

"A pretty long one by the look of that bag you're trying to hide."

"Look Rebekah, I just need-" She watched the sassy blonde vampire raise a condescending brow, arms perched on her hips.

"Running away. Just bloody fantastic! You've screwed up and now you're running away."

Hayley winced. "It's not forever," she defended. "I just need to get away, gain some damned perspective."

"And hope no doubt to give Elijah some time to forgive you?"

Hayley looked away, embarrassed that tears sprung into her eyes again. She would never live down her shame.

"You made a mistake," Rebekah said. Her tone was brisk, but beneath it somewhere she sensed compassion. "Big deal. We've all made bloody mistakes. My big brother will get over it."

"I trashed his trust."

Rebekah just shrugged. "Niklaus has done worse. And they're currently thick as bloody thieves."

"Klaus is his brother."

The blonde vampire tossed her blonde curls dramatically. "If you don't know that Elijah has made you a part of this family, then we've got bigger problems." Hayley's heart warmed a little. "Like my brother reminds us all - always and forever. You were sneaky, but he'll get over it. Elijah always does," she finished with a small smile.

Hayley was torn. Rebekah didn't say anything else, she just waited. Eventually, she gestured for Hayley to come back in. "Come on," she said briskly, lights and candles flickered welcomingly in the background. She couldn't leave. Even if she wanted to. This place was her home. And these people the closest thing to a family. And family didn't leave.

She closed the gate and slowly trudged towards Rebekah. "Dammit. Alright."

Rebekah swotted Hayley playfully on her rear-end. "How dare you consider taking my niece god knows where? Does us girls sticking together mean nothing in this house?"

"I was only going to the bayou. And I told you, it was just for a couple days."

"My brother would have torn the damn place apart searching for you."

Hayley rolled her eyes as they walked back inside the compound. "I doubt it. Klaus could care less."

They reached the staircase and Rebekah stopped, about to head back the way they had come from. "I wasn't talking about Niklaus."

Hayley bit her lip and changed the track of the conversation. "Heading out?"

Close quarters and constant interaction meant that some of her traits were rubbing off on Rebekah. Just like the word _bloody_ had quickly made its way into her own vocabulary. Right now, Rebekah was rolling her eyes in the way Hayley often did.

"Ah, yes, the reason I actually came looking for you after encountering the tornado in your room." She smiled. "I'm headed to Mystic Falls."

"Mystic Falls? Alone?"

"With my brother's actually." _Brothers_ , this meant both of them. She was relieved and felt like a coward for it.

"Not that the thought of being Klaus-less isn't appealing as hell, but why?"

Rebekah waved her hands in a gesture that indicated it wasn't important. She gave her a rushed, brief summary. "Katherine's dying, those blasted Salvatore's need some help and Nik… well, anything to get close to the blonde cheerleader I suspect."

 _And Elijah?_ She kept the question to herself because she suspected it might be about Katherine. An unexpected spike of white hot jealousy shot through her.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic."

Rebekah shrugged. "I have some unfinished business in that unfortunate town. Might as well kill two birds with one stone. Besides, Nik cannot be left to his own devices. So as usual, I'm the designated bloody babysitter." She turned to leave. "I'm off to pack. You," she said pointedly, "go unpack. I can't believe you considered leaving me alone with a house filled with boorish testosterone."

Hayley pulled a face and turned to slowly climb the stairs, hiking her backpack a little higher. She was tired, she realised. The emotion of the day had taken its toll. Her thoughts turned from herself for a moment as she remembered Davina. Life really sucked sometimes.

Because she put very little effort into actually lifting her feet, her boot caught on the top step and before she knew it, she was pitching forward. The first thing she thought was about the baby, already angling her body to the side, hoping to land on any body part that wasn't her belly. But she never hit the ground.

Firm hands caught her, pulling her towards a solid chest. "Careful now."

Her hands braced on Elijah's chest and once steady, she immediately took a step back. It hurt her, physically she felt, to be this close to him. Plus, being rejected multiple times had a way of sending a clear message. She kept her gaze lowered, moving aside to pass him.

"Thanks." He didn't stand in her way, but let her pass.

"You're going somewhere?" he called. He hadn't moved.

Hayley turned back. "My room." He was still wearing the same clothing he'd had on when they'd parted ways in the street earlier.

"Hayley…" She risked a glance at him and his expression was impassive. "What's in the backpack?"

She was quiet for a moment, not sure how much to say. She settled for the truth with a wry, awkward smile. "I planned a little road trip. Thought I might take in the sights, considering…" She trailed off. "But Rebekah convinced me otherwise."

"You were leaving?" His brows had all but disappeared as they arched. She couldn't tell if it was concern or surprise that she had attempted it. She heard a 'you were leaving _me_ ' in there and shook her head at the foolish notion. Silence stretched between them until all she heard was the beating of the rain.

"I hear you're on your way out of town too."

He ignored your observation, asking quietly, his brow furrowed. "Why?"

She leaned back against the railing, folding her arms across her belly in a protective, but unconsciously defensive stance. "I guess I wanted to make things easier for you."

"By running away? Hayley, there are dangers-"

"By giving you some space," she clarified a little hotly. "I'm sorry."

She started to leave but he had reached for her, catching her arm. "If you would indulge one last query… What made you change your mind?"

"The reminder that we all do bad things. And," she conceded, "that running away wouldn't solve anything. I would still have snooped and you would still be unable to move past it, no matter how sorry I am." She got the impression that he wanted to say something but couldn't. "It will never be the same again will it?"

"I don't know." His arm dropped to his side and she nodded, hurt, despite already knowing what his answer would be.

"Have a blast on your trip." Her humourless grimace was only a shell for the avalanche of tears that threatened to bubble over. "I'm out of here," she said, afraid that he would see the fat tears begging to be released.

"I will not be accompanying my siblings," he called. Hayley looked him in the eye, confused. He clarified. "To Mystic Falls. I'm staying in New Orleans."

Her heartbeat picked up again. "I thought… Rebekah said… I know you have a smoking history with…" she finished lamely. She had the urge to say, 'with _her'_.

His hands went into his pockets, his eyes taking a faraway look. "I've made my peace with Katerina. Going back would accomplish nothing." She nodded. "And," he said slowly, "I would not want to leave you here without protection."

"If that's your only consideration, don't let me stop you." The heat in her tone was back. "I can take care of myself."

"I know. I choose to stay." It was a simple statement of fact. His eyes were unreadable. But they were steady as they bore into her own.

"Why?"

"Perhaps a leap of faith to prove what I've always believed. That apologies, when uttered with sincerity and true contrition, are powerful. And that they're not just words."

Hayley broke their eye contact because her throat burned again. It was time to go. "Thanks, I guess."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets before saying, "My siblings will be leaving New Orleans shortly. Perhaps in their absence, we might…"

"Hang out?"

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "I was going to say talk. But _'hang out'_ has the necessary surreptitious ring to it."

She bit her lip. He was extending an olive branch. "I'd like that," she said sincerely.

Elijah nodded and turned to leave, like her, a little reluctant to end their contact. She watched him until he disappeared into the shadows.

Hayley felt hope. Perhaps things were not irrevocably damaged between them. She smiled and rubbed her belly, making her way back to her room. _The next few days alone with Elijah_. Things had just become infinitely more interesting.


	18. Chapter 18

_18\. Waiting in the Wings_

Elijah stood on the balcony and surveyed the throngs of people below. Witches, Vampires and Werewolves tentatively smiled, some mingled, most snarled at each other from opposing sides of the room. This party had been his brother's idea – an attempt to bring the community of New Orleans towards a unified purpose. And, he admitted, remind them who really ran the city. Instead, the tension was thick enough to cut with an antique butter knife.

He scanned the room again, his eyes roaming hungrily for the one person he had spent the night searching for. _Waiting_ for a mere glimpse of. The festivities had started hours ago, and still she had not come. Some of her wolf kin had already arrived. This meant that she too would surely be in attendance.

Elijah shifted and pushed a hand into his pocket, bringing the glass of champagne in his hand to his lips. He sipped idly, impatience skimming off him in waves. Rebekah would have loved this, he thought. Impatience was replaced with a longing for his sister he still felt keenly. Despite his wish that she would have remained with them, he knew that there was no greater gift she could have received than her freedom. He had hope however, that one day, they would see each other again. _Always and forever._ She _would_ be back. And this time when she came, it would be on her own terms.

Till then, long distance phone calls and on occasion, a letter, would be all he could expect. A small smile touched his lips. No matter how many centuries they lived, Rebekah knew how much he appreciated the written word. To indulge him, she had often sent him letters, written with ink from a well, a thick red wax seal binding the pages which had been placed in a larger envelope. He knew the pleasure would not come soon this time. She aimed to see the world and put as much distance between herself and New Orleans as she possibly could.

A scent carried on the breeze and his hand fisted involuntarily. Slowly turning to the left, Elijah saw Hayley walk into the courtyard. Despite the dim lights, her shape, her form, was immediately apparent to him. His eyes closed briefly as he listened for their heartbeats – _both_. It had been a week since he'd seen her. She looked as if her belly had grown larger in so short a time.

They had spoken on the phone though – daily. She had called him first and without notice, they had fallen into an easy routine. She would call him in the morning, he would check in on her at night. Their conversations were more often than not whispered confidences which left him with a keen longing to be near her. He _missed_ her. And the separation, especially in the wake of Rebekah's absence, had become too much to bare.

Elijah placed the champagne flute on a nearby table and made his way towards her. He had no wish to pretend tonight. She was his destination and damn anyone who stood in his way.

As he approached, he saw her back stiffen and irrational pleasure spread through him. She was as aware of him as he was of her. When she turned slowly, looking over her shoulder, he felt the area around his heart tighten. In a deep purple, floor-length gown, her hair falling in long waves, she was beautiful.

Her eyes brightened when they met his, her lips curving into a smile she could not seem to control. Her cheeks, he noticed, stained a charming shade of crimson as she turned to fully face him.

"I had begun to fear that my invitation did not reach you." His own smile was less broad, but unbeknownst to him, no less bright. His hands wanted to reach for her and so he put them where he always did, buried in his pockets.

Hayley rolled her eyes, her smile becoming even broader. "Really? The minute I saw the invitation – way over the top by the way – I knew it had Mikaelson all over it."

As if she read his mind, she launched herself into his arms. He had just enough time to remove his hands before her arms wrapped itself around him. Elijah pulled her as close as he could, her bump settled between them.

"Hi." Her voice was muffled as she spoke into his shoulder, a relieved sigh he thought. Elijah was aware that they had caught the attention of a few people. But he did not care. He had missed her. And for a moment, he wanted to savour having her back.

"Hello Hayley. You look... lovely."

She pulled away slightly, her eyes beaming into his. Their matching smiles were an indication to most around them that there was a deep affection which ran between the unlikely pair.

She dragged her eyes away from his to look around the room. His eyes however, never left her face. "Do some renovations in my absence? I like what you've done with the place," she teased. "Very disco."

"A temporary aberration, i assure you. Merely catering to the company we're keeping tonight I'm afraid."

"Trashy?"

"Flashy," he countered and they shared a laugh. "Can I offer you a drink?" He turned and gestured towards the bar. "I ensured there were non-alcoholic options."

Hayley pushed her hair behind her ear in a trait he found utterly charming. "You stocked the bar for the lone pregnant wolf? You really shouldn't have." She batted her eyelashes with humour-filled exaggeration.

He watched her, realising just how much her presence was missed. "I do believe," he said without thinking, "that I have missed you."

The words were out and he could not take it back.

Her eyes had widened a little at his bold words. They flicked away and then back. Her cheeks had reddened again. They both looked to the floor and then away.

Hayley pulled an awkward face. "Urm… Jackson is here. He kinda offered me a ride."

He tried hard not to sound jealous as the black emotion flooded his gut. "Ah yes, the…" he paused, finding the right word, "errant fiancé." He cleared his throat. He had not meant for the term fiancé to sound so much like a murderous growl.

Her eyes narrowed a little at his tone. "That was a long time ago. I'm not exactly down with being promised to someone without my consent. It's a little archaic don't you think." It wasn't really a question, but he answered anyway.

"Indeed," he muttered under his breath. "Our minds are as one on this matter."

His gaze left the young man leaning against a pillar on the opposite side of the room and moved back to her. If the daggers he was aiming in their direction was any indication, he certainly did not share Hayley's sentiments.

"So, are you ever going to ask me to dance?"

Elijah forgot all about Jackson and focused on her. She raised her brow, waiting.

"The errant fiancé might not approve."

"I do not need his permission." Her eyes narrowed again and a small smile played on her lips. "Elijah, are you jealous?"

 _Dear God, yes._ He kept this to himself. Elijah shook his head, a light-hearted scoff falling from his lips. "I have outlived your pup by hundreds of years. I see no need for such petty emotions."

She offered him her hand. "Then you would make me ask again?"

Looking at her small hand, palm turned upwards, he gently traced his fingers across hers before molding their palms together, their fingers linking with purpose.

"Hayley," he said, pulling her into the circle of his arms. "Would you dance with me?"

"We're already dancing." He just smiled, attractive lines framing his face as he smoothly turned her in a circle before bringing her back to the security of his arms.

"It feels so weird being back here," she admitted, her eyes moving back to his as they swayed slowly.

"Not unpleasant, I hope?" He looked at their hands, the lighting in the room changing the colours around them in varying shades of blue and purple. In light that should have been disastrous, she looked radiant.

"No," she admitted eventually. His eyes caught hers. "Not anymore. Not right now."

His right hand tensed on her waist, stepping closer. They stopped swaying, both locked in an unspoken moment in time.

"You would not consider moving back?" He asked the question, but he already knew the answer.

"Elijah… my family…" she began.

He shook his head. "Forgive me. It is not my place. And…" his smile was wry, even a little sheepish. "I cannot allow my own feelings… my _wishes_ ," he amended, "to stand in the way of what is best for you. I know how much they mean to you."

Hayley raised her palms to the lapels of his suit jacket and smoothed them. She shook her head, a small movement. "You always put the well-being of others above your own. Even mine. Even back when we barely knew each other."

He caught her hands and held it to his chest. "It feels like it was just yesterday when I saw you walk out in the Lafayette cemetery. I do recall you asking me," he chuckled, " _who the hell I was_."

She laughed too, her fingers curling into the fabric of his suit. "I _should_ have known. But I do now," she said softly, barely a whisper. "I will always know you. Anywhere."

Their eyes met and he saw something there, something mirrored in his own.

"Ejijah-"

"Hayley-"

They both spoke simultaneously, both eager, unbeknownst to the other, to say what they had spent forever holding back.

"Hayley."

Elijah's eyes never left hers. There was an apology on her face before she turned to face their intruder. Slowly, her hands slipped from his.

"Jackson. What is it?"

"I thought you might introduce me to the man who saved me from burning alive." Elijah turned to look at the young boy. He was not really a boy. But it gave him pleasure to refer to him as such. Even if it was only in his thoughts. "He also saved you, my wife."

Elijah caught her sharply drawn breath and did nothing more than raise a brow in Jackson's direction.

"What the hell? I'm not your bloody wife!"

"Fiancé then," the _boy_ returned.

Elijah narrowed his eyes but showed no outward sign of emotion. The pup was trying to provoke an emotion, which he most likely hoped would lead to a brawl of some kind. While in reality, everything inside of him yearned to teach the silly boy a lesson, it was not the time. Any sign of discord and anarchy would reign among some who sought any reason to sow disharmony. Unfortunately, Jackson had picked the wrong Mikaelson. While sadly Elijah did silently wish he was as rash as his brother Niklaus. If he was, Jackson would be without half his teeth. Instead, Elijah calmly extended his hand.

"Elijah Mikaelson. Hayley has been under the protection of my family." Jackson reluctantly shook his hand. Elijah turned to look at Hayley, her cheeks red. This time, it was not a flush of pleasure, but one of anger and embarrassment. She turned to look at him too. "She is family."

"She already has a family," Jackson said, his tone low, combative. The young man was looking for a fight. The realisation amused Elijah more than he wished to admit.

"Not for very long if you don't take your head out of your frikken ass," Hayley spat in his direction.

"Hayley-"

"Shut the hell up," she hissed. "We've had this conversation," she said in a deliberate, angry whisper. "I am not your wife, intended or otherwise. I am not your property to claim. Elijah is my friend - and your host tonight - I will not have you insult him in his home. Now, excuse us, we were in the middle of something."

Elijah watched her with pride. She really could take care of herself. Calmly, he turned, Hayley's hand already in his own. "It seems the lady has spoken." He paused a second. "While I would gladly teach you the manners you seem to lack, Hayley and her unborn child would be in danger should I take this opportunity to exercise my... educational prowess. Another time perhaps. Excuse me."

They left Jackson where he stood. Immediately, Hayley said, "I'm sorry. He's a little… overprotective."

They stopped in a darkened alcove. "I would venture he is feeling a little more than… overprotective."

"Elijah," she said. "I don't… I mean, Jackson and I… we're just…"

"Its complicated," he finished for her.

She shook her head, stepping closer to him. "No," she said firmly. "That is just… stupid. And kind of weird actually." She then gestured to the now small space between them. "This. _This_ is complicated."

The relief he felt was palpable. He didn't want to have to deal with the possibility of her loving another. Even if he was not sure he was even in a position to offer her more.

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. He pressed a fleeting kiss there. "Yes. This is."

She bit her lip, her eyes telling him everything he needed to know. The words, she kept those to herself. The time was not right yet. But soon, he silently vowed.

"Would you care to dance with me Hayley?"

Her smile was bashful, beautiful, for him. "Yes."

Elijah lead her back to the dance floor, pulled her in close and silently damned anyone who would dare wrestle her from his arms.


	19. Chapter 19

_19\. Goodbyes Are Not Forever_

"Hey."

Hayley walked into what used to be the large family room at the southern plantation. Now everything was charred, ruined by a blazing inferno that could very well have claimed her own life. Beneath her feet, rubble crunched as she carefully made her way towards the small pool of lamplight.

Elijah stood bathed in its halo, the rest of the room darkened shadows and gloomy crevices – a far cry from its opulent past. Where crystal chandeliers once hung, suspended in shiny glory, there was now exposed electrical wiring and shattered glass. The beautiful artwork that adored the walls was missing, now merely dull grey ash.

He now stood beside what was once a large black glossy piano, the gold lettering, Steinway & Sons invisiable beneath the destruction the fames had wrecked.

"Elijah," she called again. He looked lost in thought, appearing as though the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. "Are you alright?" She picked her way further into the room, glass breaking where she tread.

When his eyes met hers, she was close enough to notice that his lashes were clumped together with moisture. The realisation made her swallow the lump that rose.

He cleared his throat and looked around, shaking himself from the stupor that had descended.

"You shouldn't be in here. It isn't safe. The house has been condemned."

" _You're_ in here," she said, trying to catch his eyes. "I know Rebekah left. She came to say goodbye."

"I am glad. She has grown fond of you. And the child you carry." His chest expanded and then contracted and his head bowed. She could feel the sorrow roll off him in waves. She had never felt more inadequate than in that moment. What did you say to someone who had just lost his sister? Especially when he had spent the last 1000 years trying to unite them?

"This was once our home. We were happy here. To see it rendered thus... It may well be a physical manifestation of just how broken my family really is."

Hayley's heart broke for him. "You will rebuild Elijah. This home and your family." She didn't know if it was possible. But she knew he would try. He always did.

"Come," he said again. "It's not safe in here."

Before she could say another word, he took her hand. Again she tried to catch his eyes but he wouldn't let her. Eventually, she wrapped her fingers around his and gripped tightly. She wasn't sure if she imagined it or if his own grip became firmer.

Outside, there was a gentle breeze blowing and she breathed in deeply. The smokey, musty smell of the house had been deceptively oppressive. As they walked down the circular drive, they came to a stop beside his black Porsche Cayenne, their hands naturally parting.

"Fancy," she said, gesturing to the vehicle.

"My sister's legacy," he said with a grin. His voice was low, rough, a little raw. He faced the house, looking out at the vast expanse of ruin.

"I'm sorry Elijah. I know how much family means to you."

"Perhaps Celeste was right. Always is not forever. At least not in this case."

"Rebekah loves you. She loves Klaus too. She'll be back… Might take a century… or two…" She tried to lighten the mood but he simply nodded his head in acknowledgement of her words. "How is the almighty Klaus by the way? Rumour has it you staked him."

"Rumour in this case, would be true. Niklaus…" Elijah shrugged, leaning against the hood of the car. "…was not happy." He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes briefly. "But I had no choice. In order to give Rebekah the best chance of survival, I had to ensure she could make it-"

"At least halfway across the world?" she supplied, turning to lean beside him, their hips barely touching.

"Niklaus's irrational rage knows no bounds."

"You didn't have a choice you know," she said softly, understanding the torment in his voice. " _None of this_ is your fault."

"We both know my brother cannot always see reason."

"No good news there I'm afraid," she said with a small smile, hoping to coax one from him too. "It pains me to say this, knowing the… complex relationship I have with your brother, but he knows you love him, despite the mountains of crap he's always given you to deal with. And he loves you both; its just kind of twisty I guess."

"He meant to make her suffer."

 _Doesn't he always_ , she wanted to say, but bit her lip. Her particular brand of sarcasm was not called for. Hayley watched him continue to stare out at nothing. He pushed his hands deep into his pockets and rolled his shoulders slightly, as if trying to ease the tension that rested there.

"A little. But he did the right thing. He let her go. For Klaus, that's kinda major."

"He also banished her from her home." His temper flared temporarily.

"Baby steps."

Finally, a small grin appeared and he turned to look at her. He frowned. "Why are you here?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were alright. I know you and Rebekah are close."

"Like I said, my baby sister has grown fond of you as well."

"At least someone around here has, right?" Their eyes met and she looked away, the pull between them strong as ever.

"Did she mention her inevitable location?" he asked eventually.

She shook her head. "No. I asked her not to say anything. I figure what I don't know can't hurt me. Or be used to hurt her."

He nodded. "Wise."

"Hey," she touched his shoulder. "We'll figure this out." The word _we_ was out before she could take it back.

"A fine family we have welcomed you into. Thus far we have not yet had the opportunity to present the lighter side of the Mikaelson's."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Such a thing exists?" she joked.

"It did once, a long time ago."

Beyond the memory he had once shared with her, she couldn't imagine it, so decided not to say anything else. "Can I get you something? A drink, some tea?"

"Well," he gestured to the house. "The kitchen is charred I'm afraid." He grinned, the sides of his eyes wrinkling attractively. She removed her hand from his shoulder with no excuse to maintain contact with him.

She rolled her eyes. "Not here of course. You could come to the bayou?"

"No. But thank you."

Her eyes narrowed at his tone. He was amused.

"I can make a cup of tea you know." She folded her arms across her chest.

He raised his brow enquiringly and she had the distinct impression he was saying, " _really_ " without actually saying it out loud.

"I admit I'm no frikken Rachel Ray in the kitchen, but I've… been practicing," she admitted. A low blush stained her cheeks.

"Practicing?" Pursed lips and quizzical brow. Dammit. He looked dark, a little broody, somewhat amused and entirely sexy as hell.

"Well, I am… was… whatever a part of this family and… certain members like tea."

There was a short silence before he filled it, his voice wry. He licked his lips and she squirmed. "I've known my siblings for a thousand years. I do not recall either appreciating the pleasure of a perfectly brewed cup of tea."

"Well…" She met his gaze. "Rebekah did ask me to take care of you."

His eyes went soft and his head dropped. "That's really not necessary."

"I want to," she said simply. "You've done so much for me and the little miracle here." She touched her large belly and rubbed where her daughter kicked.

The small smile was back. "Brew you say?"

"I didn't even frikken know what that was until a couple months ago. Seeing as I can't offer you my vein." She peeked at him and his expression was unreadable. She blushed again. "Kidding."

"Sounds like an offer I cannot refuse. The tea," he clarified with a chuckle.

She turned to leave but he stopped her. "Hayley, I have been meaning to offer you an apology but with recent occurrences, the timing has never seemed quite apt."

She frowned. "An apology?"

"Celeste," he said and she nodded, understanding. "You were right."

"I didn't want to be. She was a bitch," she said with no heat, "but you loved her. I'm sorry you had to be the one to kill her."

"She was a mere vision of the woman I once knew. Her thirst for vengeance turned her into someone else entirely."

"Since I came into this family, I've brought nothing but complications."

"Things have been complicated for a thousand years."

She grimaced. "True."

"And," he took her hand again. "You're not a complication."

The air sizzled between them as she looked into his eyes. They were warm now, familiar, his gaze the one she was used to seeing. She placed her free hand over their joint fingers and squeezed.

"Hayley, thank you."

She couldn't get the words out. Her mouth was dry. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss to her temple. She bit her lip, her eyes drooping in response.

"Now, about that tea…"

"Right," she said, gathering herself. "A trip to the bayou it is. I might have forgotten to mention that you might have to start a fire in order to… brew stuff."

He had the grace to simply say, "of course."


	20. Chapter 20

_20\. Weight of the World_

Elijah watched the woman he had come to love grapple with her emotions and felt his own heart squeeze in reaction. She looked lost, lonely, vulnerable and distant. All he wanted was to breach the gap between them and offer her his unwavering support, even if she was not yet ready to accept it.

Her shoulders shook with the enormity of her silent grief and when she turned to look at him, it took all his strength to compose his own features, to hold himself back from reaching for her and never letting go. While he had never lost a child, he had had to fight for centuries _not_ to lose his own family. He therefore felt her pain keenly.

Elijah stretched out his hand towards her, the crowd around them falling away until there was only him, and her, their shared grief and the weight of the now stalled promise of their burgeoning affection. Without words, with only his eyes, he tried to convey what he felt for her, his oath – _I will always protect you_ – to convey _everything_.

Eventually, she stepped forward, accepting the extended hand, gripping his fingers tightly. With the care of a patient fisherman who waited for his prey to bite, Elijah gently reeled her towards him, her head bowed, her shoulders stooped. He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted gently, his other hand wiping unsuccessfully at the silent tracks of tears that succumbed to gravitational pull. Her skin was cold, her pallor ashen.

"Take me home," she whispered, her voice hoarse, like someone who had not spoken for a long while, the words rough and uneven.

He nodded, his arms already moving around her shoulders, protecting her, ready to defend her from anyone who would cause her further harm. Three steps later, her legs gave way and Elijah scooped her into his arms. The crowd had parted, allowing them to pass. Those gathered gasped out loud when the tall, immaculately suited Original swiftly caught the young women in his arms and deftly strode the remaining way towards the large black Porsche Cayenne parked at the curb.

Even in her obvious distress, they made a striking pair. Her arm wrapped tightly around his neck, digging into the collar of his jacket; his arms sure, strong, loving in the way they held her close.

Hayley's arms were limp as he buckled her into the seat, her head turned away from the prying eyes of those outside the windows. They said nothing as they drove home, the burden of conversation too much for either of them to attempt. He had never been at a loss for words, but he was now. _What did he say to her to make it better?_ _How could he accept the burden of her pain?_ The reality was; there was nothing he could say. All he could do was be there when she needed him.

She made no protest when he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the compound. Their home was dark, scant candles burning low. They had tried to right some of the chaos that had ensued in the days after the attack, but there was still a lot of work that needed to be done. Tonight however, was not the time to continue that endeavor.

Elijah carried her to her bedroom but at the doorway, she shook her head firmly. "No, not here. I can't be in here. Not yet." Of course, the nursery.

Without breaking stride, he continued to his own room. Gently, he lowered her onto the edge of the large bed, kneeling at her feet as he removed her shoes as she swayed with latent fatigue.

"I could run you a bath….?" He suggested, although he wasn't sure how he would get her into it. He didn't know if he was relieved or not when she shook her head in the negative. She did not have the energy. She needed to feed and sleep. Looking at her, sleep would have to come first.

Slowly, she shrugged out of her oversized cardigan, now sitting in a jeans and a white t-shirt, the neckline of which drooped off the side of her shoulder. She looked so young with her hair hanging loosely around her; far too young to have dealt with a loss of this magnitude.

Elijah stopped his frantic movements and sat back, her feet resting on his knees. She raised her hands and pushed back her hair, her chest shuddering as she breathed out. Outside, the rain began, pelting against the pane and she wrapped her arms around herself. He could see the goose bumps that rose on her flesh.

"You need to feed," he said gently, unaware that his fingers were rubbing the soles of her feet in soothing circles.

She shook her head. "Not now. I… I couldn't."

He nodded, the dark circles under her eyes testament to the fact. Elijah rose and reached behind her, pulling down the covers of the bed and moving the large pillows aside. He lifted her and placed her into his bed, leaning over her slightly. Their eyes met, hers large, the lashes dark and separated with tears. He moved the hair from her forehead and leaned down to place a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.

Elijah felt her hands, tentative, reaching up and brushing across his chest before one came to rest in the crook of his neck, the other at his cheek.

"Elijah." Her voice was a whisper, soft, intimate, a plea, as her face reached up and nuzzled his own.

His stomach dropped, knowing that this was a bad idea. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. The pain there, the _longing_ was his undoing.

Her hands tugged and he had no will to stop his decent. Their lips met in a soft kiss. He tasted her tears and kissed her again, determined to kiss away her sorrow, even if it would only be for a moment.

But then her hands fisted in his hair and she mewed, pulling him down on top of her.

" _Hayley_ -" he cautioned. But she gave him no time to respond. Her lips opened and she deepened their kiss, reaching into him, her arms wrapping around him, pulling him into her.

He could not deny her. Their lips and tongues dueled, the kiss becoming hot and uncontrollable. All rational sense fled and all he was left with was his senses - touch, taste and smell. He had no sight though. He was blinded by her beauty.

She moaned as his lips blazed a fiery trail down her throat, her hands pushing at his jacket, then his shirt, less frantic only when her fingers connected with his naked torso. Hands that had been cold minutes before, was now warm as they explored his skin. Elijah inhaled sharply as she bit into his shoulder, his lips crashing back into hers as their passion soared. But he lay on top of the covers she was under. Soon the barrier became a frustrating obstacle. He wasn't even sure how it had happened. But he was shirtless and she lay beneath him in a padded white bra. Looking down at her, her cheeks flushed with desire, the last vestiges of her tears evident in the corners of her eyes, he knew he had to stop before they both did something they would later regret.

As she reached for him, he grabbed both her hands in his and stilled them gently.

"Hayley, it's too soon," he whispered, trying to find his voice, his very breath. "It's too soon." She had just birthed and lost a child. This level of intimacy would be a mistake and likely an impossibility.

"Elijah, _please_." The plea in her voice was almost his undoing. He felt his eyes burn at the desperation in her tone. Her pain was raw and real and he would have given his life in that moment to spare her any further torment. But he couldn't and he knew she would have to wade through the dark in order to reach the light.

"Hayley, darling, _look at me_ , look into my eyes." She thrashed around now, embarrassed he thought, a little humiliated. There was no need. He adjusted, moving off her and onto his side. His hands cupped her face and forced her to look at him. "Hayley, my courageous, beautiful, selfless girl."

Tears now pooled in her eyes again and her bottom lip quivered. Elijah reached down and brushed at them with his thumbs, then kissed the corner of her mouth.

"It hurts to breathe without her near me." Her voice crumbled and he gathered into his arms, rotating their position until he was propped up against the pillows and she was cradled in his arms.

"She's alive. And while she lives, you have a reason to live too. She needs her mother, even if you are separated by circumstances beyond your control." Elijah brought her hand to his heart and covered it with his own. "It is not forever. Niklaus will lay waste to the world to ensure you both see your daughter again."

"I'm sorry," she said, her tears wetting his chest. "I just want to feel something. I don't feel anything."

"Shhhh… it's alright." He placed a kiss to her head.

"I need to sleep. But I don't want to be alone. Will you stay?"

"Always."

He shifted to get comfortable and she did the same. Around them, the room was dark, warm, quiet, safe from the howling winds and incessant downpour outside.

Her heartbeat was steady and he was almost convinced she was asleep when she placed a soft kiss to his throat.

"Thank you Elijah. What you did earlier, it means a lot."

"I said I would always protect you. I meant that."

She linked their fingers and hugged him close. "I also meant letting me feed from you earlier. I know a bite is painful."

"Do not concern yourself. Niklaus has left some of his blood behind. You will feed later," he said with certainty. "And you _will_ drink from me."

She was quiet, either too exhausted to argue or merely accepting the inevitable.

"Rebekah will love her won't she?" she said eventually, her voice drowsy with sleep. "My baby girl, Hope."

"She will love her," he whispered in return, sure she was already asleep. "And care for her and tell her daily how very much her mother loves her."

The steady rise and fall of her chest told him she was definitely asleep. Carefully, he toed off his shoes and settled in more comfortably.

Elijah then also closed his own eyes and allowed sleep to descend.


	21. Chapter 21

_21\. Their First Feed_

Feeding was a requirement to sustain and nourish life, even for those with supernatural inclinations – _especially_ for those with paranormal proclivities. And in a thousand years, there were less than a handful of individuals who could claim they had been privileged enough to drink from a 1000 year old Original vampire.

For Elijah, it was not merely sustenance. It was giving a part of oneself to the other person. It was about providing life, opportunity, giving of the raw power housed inside of himself, an exchange of blood, of consciousness, mostly however, an acknowledgement of infinite trust.

When Hayley stood before him, broken, tormented and starved, he knew that there was no choice to make. He had rarely volunteered his blood to anyone – never in fact. To his family, it had never been a matter of consent, sharing with them when required was a given.

And she had been family since the moment they met; this meant he would always offer of himself to sustain a member of that elite group. But with her, it was also so much more. He had never shared his blood with anyone he loved. The uncomfortable reality was therefore that this might be a first for both of them.

Elijah observed her from his viewpoint in the doorway and watched her sway slightly, her hand bracing on the edge of the wooden crib. The baby lay awake in her cot, her mother a silent guardian angel, afraid to let her out of sight. Niklaus stood opposite her, his eyes, like hers, fixed on the little person between them. From his vantage, they made an arresting pair he acknowledged, a pang of jealously coursing through his blood at the unbidden thought.

Elijah tensed his jaw, knowing that he would never deny his brother the privilege of being a father – it was what he had fought so hard for. Seeing the child now, so clearly a combination of her parents, he felt the stirrings of longings he had buried hundreds of years ago. Those unwelcome yearnings now did battle with his feelings of guilt for silently coveting something – someone - that was not his own.

The baby mewed and her father reached for her, already comfortable handing the tiny bundle.

"There, there, love. I'm right here," he whispered low and hypnotic, a lilting quality to his voice that most parents could identify with.

"She might be hungry," Hayley said. Her eyes were fixed on the little girl. Again Elijah saw her sway slightly, unsteady on her feet.

"Shall we fix you a bottle, little one?"

Elijah felt like an interloper, trespassing on a private moment. Perhaps Niklaus would offer of himself. They were a family now, weren't they? The realisation sent a fresh stab of uncomfortable heat right into the centre of his chest. He might love her more than ever, but if she chose Niklaus as her first, he would stand back and watch. It was his curse and his gift. Compassion. Forgiveness. Sacrifice.

But then his brother's eyes met his and Klaus nodded imperceptibly towards Hayley. A thousand years and love for this woman had reduced him to this. He was appalled with himself when the knot in his chest eased.

He pushed away from the doorway, coming to stand beside her, noticing how large her eyes were. He saw so much there, even more hidden from him.

"You must feed," he said gently, his hand cupping her elbow firmly to aid with her balance.

"No," she shook her head. "No." She turned her back towards him and stared out of the window. He heard the defiance, her stubborn will. _He heard her fear_.

Klaus had left the room with the child, closing the door firmly behind him. They were alone and the silence between them was deafening, the air charged with the energy of a brewing battle. He stepped back, giving her some space.

"It's alright," Elijah said as he watched her. "Hayley, it will be alright."

He sensed a distance between them that had never been there before. Her straightened spine, the way she'd moved _almost_ outside of his reach, _but not quite_. Elijah reached for her shoulder but thought better of it, his hand instead falling to his side.

"Jackson called. I believe there has been a falling out of sorts – between himself and Oliver. I took the liberty of asking him to wait a little longer before attempting a visit." She said nothing, but kept staring out of the window. He was reminded of a time, not too long ago, when they stood similarly. He doubted that things would end as they did back then. It felt like a lifetime ago.

She would have to come to terms with the burden placed upon her by forces outside of her control. With that, he could offer no comfort. Never one to outstay his welcome, he turned away then. If he was not what she wanted, he would let her be.

But then her shoulders slumped, like a balloon that deflated too quickly, and his heart shuddered in response.

"Hayley-"

"I know," she said, an edge to her voice, a growl almost. She turned to face him in glorious rebellion. Despite the anger so apparent, he couldn't help but acknowledge that even now, with shoulders stooped from exhaustion, dark circles beneath her eyes, her pallor indicative of her need for blood, she was still beautiful in her mutiny – _more_ _so_ because of it.

"You know what Elijah, I don't _want_ this. I don't need it! Why does life have to be so fuc-" she bit down on her lip and huffed out in frustration "hard?" she said eventually, her voice hard, but he heard the thread of vulnerability there. He pushed his hands into his pockets to stop them from reaching for her. She needed this. And he would listen. "Have I not suffered enough?" She scoffed. "I realise saying that to a 1000 year old vampire is ironic, but you know what? I have always been a damned postscript, abandoned _repeatedly_ by everyone I thought cared about me. Here, like everywhere else, I've been threatened and pursued," she choked out, "beaten sometimes-" Elijah felt his hands ball into fists at the thought and his jaw tensed. He planted his feet firmly, willing them not to move towards her. "- but it's still not enough."

She reached for the pillow on the rocking chair nearby and threw it across the room. The speed at which the projectile moved took her by surprise. He saw her blink a few times before she sighed, shook her head, as if to clear it, and then looked right at him. She didn't have to say it. He knew. _Everything_ hurt.

"I was responsible for the massacre of Klaus's hybrid minions," she confessed in a whisper.

"I know."

She continued as if she didn't even hear him. "I was responsible for their deaths. They were my friends - some of them I guess - and I betrayed them because I thought I could find my family. That's how I justified it."

"Hayley-"

"But now I'm one of them. And I've lost my family. How do I justify it now?"

"You are not alone. _You never will be again_ ," he vowed vehemently. "The wolves are not your only family."

"I'm supposed to be their damned queen, Elijah. Sent from the crescent deities to unite our clans or something. How the hell do I do that as their most hated enemy? And why does this infuriate me so much when it was something I never even wanted?" Elijah sensed she would stomp her feet if she had the energy. "I didn't want to be their salvation! When did all this become so frikken important and complicated and messy?"

She stopped mid-tirade and eyed him, the look she threw in his direction was irritated. A smile began to spread on his face and he was powerless to stop it. He tried to hide the curve of his lips by rubbing a finger across the surface. She wasn't fooled.

"What? Why are you smiling?"

"Because you're fighting, Hayley. That's the woman I lo-" Elijah swallowed his words, glancing quickly to see her raised brow. He shrugged, rephrasing, "it's the woman I've come to admire greatly for her fearlessness, her bravery, her tenacity and her unwavering determination. That's the same woman who will adapt and survive. That's who you are Hayley. You're a fighter." He paused and looked her in the eye. "That's the woman I care about. She doesn't give up."

"How do you have so much faith when I… I've pretty much never had much and now I'm running on empty Elijah. How will any of this be ok? Jackson, the pack, my baby, her grandparents, Rebekah..." She ran out of steam. "You and me," she finished.

Elijah took one step towards her then, drawn despite his best intentions. "Because everything has a way of working itself out. That's life Hayley. No matter how long we live, life has a way of working itself out, despite our best intentions. For better or worse."

She rolled her eyes and his heart lifted. "A thousand years and that's all you've got?"

A smile flashed across his face, a small chuckle accompanying it. "It's the truth in its simplest form. And… someone once reminded met that we all do bad things sometimes. It doesn't define who we are."

She eyed him for a second and then launched herself into his arms. The move was unexpected but not unwelcome. His arms folded around her and they stood still for a while; her head nestled beneath his chin, her palm resting where his heart would beat.

Elijah rubbed his hand down her spine, his touch light but sure, calming her, soothing himself.

"I know your life has not been easy," he murmured into her ear. "But here, with us," with _me_ , he whispered to himself, "you have also been protected, avenged and loved."

Her eyes lifted to his and tears glistened there, but it didn't fall. He reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear, proud at how brave she was. His hands framed her face gently.

"Niklaus-"

She shook her head briskly, stopping his words. "You will always give me a choice," she reminded her smile was brittle and sad. "I choose you." His chest squeezed and guilt almost made him weak. Her hands trailed down a tailored sleeve and came to rest at his wrist. She fingered the span of the smooth skin. "I don't want to hurt you."

"No," he negated. His discomfort would be fleeting and temporary. He clamped down on his feelings of contrition because a large part of him was proud and honoured to volunteer himself as her first. Because a large part of him was _relieved_ that her mortality was no longer one of the numerous, sometimes insurmountable barriers between them. Because a large part of him now struggled with the guilt of his own burgeoning happiness.

The woman he loved was safe, her mortality now endless. While he could not stem the dark pleasure that spread inside of him, it battled with the guilt of knowing that this was the last thing she had ever wanted. He was not accustomed to having his unspoken desires fulfilled. It was therefore a bittersweet experience.

"How do we do this?" she asked, uncertain, his wrist between them, her cool fingers holding onto him. He knew the question carried more weight than just their present circumstance.

"Are you ready?"

"No," she acknowledged and smiled nervously. "But I'm glad it's you," she admitted.

Elijah's free hand gently cupped the nape of her neck and guided her towards his wrist. Their eyes locked and he nodded his encouragement, watching as she touched her lips to his wrist, placing a soft kiss there before eventually biting down.

Involuntarily, his hand tightened on the back of her neck, his eyes closing briefly when a surge of energy pulsed from where she drew on his blood. Her cool hands now cupped his elbow and wrist as she drank, her own lids having closed in unmistakable rapture. His hand threaded into her hair, fisting with restrained violence. He admitted to himself that it was likely the most erotic experience of his existence. It was one thing, providing nourishment to a sibling. It was an entirely different experience when he gave of himself to the woman he loved.

Hayley disengaged, taking a deep breath, no doubt experiencing the rush that came with the first feed. Her cheeks bloomed, colour restored where before there had been an ashen pallor. Her eyes opened and looked at the two punctures she has made into his radial artery. Already the skin burned; an indication of the hallucinogenic aftereffects of a wolf bite.

"Thank you."

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and he reached for the crisp white handkerchief in his pocket.

"You look lovely," he said, the words tumbling unbidden from his lips, startling them both.

She rolled her eyes and reluctantly took a small step back. "With blood dripping from my face?"

He didn't feel he needed to clarify. Hayley passed the white square back and their fingers brushed. She clasped his tightly for a moment.

"Everything will work out, right?"

"Always." They both heard the soft cries of the baby. The moment had passed. "I suspect Niklaus requires some help."

She nodded. "Talk later? After she is settled? I have… some questions about vampirism I guess."

"Niklaus would be able to-" Her direct gaze put an end to that line of thought. He stepped aside. "Of course."

Elijah watched her leave, his eyes following her progress. At the doorway, she turned and looked back before disappearing with her newfound vampiric speed. She would always have a choice, he mused, and she had clearly chosen him.

He didn't know what to do with an emotion like joy. Decades taught him to treat it with suspicion and caution. But they had just discovered hope, hadn't they? In more ways than one. Perhaps this time, there would be enough for him as well.


	22. Something's Got To Give

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The show is back. These two are back. Hallelujah

_22\. Something's Got To Give_

"I don't know why the hell we're even here. There's nothing! No sign of the witches, no sign of your psychotic parents – nothing!"

Hayley and Elijah had been scouring the woods in and around the bayou for hours, looking for some sign of what the Mikaelson matriarch and patriarch had planned. But it was a dead end. It was late; Hayley was now tired, frustrated and annoyed at Elijah's continued silence. Despite working on this errand together, he'd barely said more than two words to her since they'd left the compound. He offered observations around who they were tracking, the conditions, possible leads, but nothing else, nothing personal, nothing  _real_. Her anger simmered, burning her insides as though it were on fire. This feeling intensified whenever he mentioned the newly turned vampire Gia – his protégé. Silently, she rolled her eyes, refusing to be jealous.

"Nothing to say? No insights to offer that are polite and courteous? What would Gia do?" She hated herself for bringing her up and couldn't help the acid that dripped from her tone. She missed him and it made her bitter, mainly because if she was honest, she'd pushed him away. Now, no matter what she did, she couldn't seem to bring him back towards her.

"Gia," Elijah said with his usual indifferent calm, "would do what she's told."

"Why do I even bother?" She saw him grit his teeth, holding back from saying something. "What?  _What_  Elijah?!" she yelled.

"Nothing," he said eventually. "Now is not the time."

"We're out here in the middle of damned nowhere, when will there be a better time?" she exploded.

Elijah swallowed hard, closed his eyes briefly as if he was praying for patience and then turned his back on her, walking back the way they'd come.

Whatever rational calm she had left, whatever thread of patience she held on to like a lifeline fled as she watched him retreat. Without thinking, she ran at him with all her strength, grabbed him at the back of his neck and slammed him against the bark of the closest tree.

It was the last thing he'd expected, their breaths mingling as air rushed from his lungs when his back hit the cold, hard bark. Hayley wasn't polite enough to feel sorry when she saw him wince. She was too angry, too frustrated and had been for far too long.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" she shouted at him, short of breath, panting as if she'd run a marathon. "Do you hate me now? Is that why it's so damned easy for you to be so cold?!"

He raised a hand to stop her. "Hayley-"

"No!" she warned, her hands how pushing roughly at his chest, his back still pressed to the tree. "Don't placate me. Don't push your diplomatic bullshit on me.  _Do not_  pretend that you haven't made it your god damn business to treat me like I'm invisible! For months you ignore me when I'm in the room and when you lower yourself to speak to me, it's as if you're talking to a bug squashed to the bottom of your boot. You don't look at me, you don't  _see_  me anymore. You don't care!"

"I don't care?!" he muttered with murderous calm. For a minute she was startled, her hands dropping from him, but she didn't step back. His jaw tightened. "I-" he caught himself, almost choking on the four letter expletive that passed his lips. He pushed away from the tree, pulling roughly at the lapels of his jacket, righting his clothing. He rolled his shoulders and paced away from her. She could feel the frustration rolling off him like smoke from a volcano that was about to erupt. She didn't care. She was ready to fight.

"What happened to  _I will always protect you_?" she taunted. Angry was good. At least then he would talk to her. "What happened to the noble Elijah, who promised to always be there for me? Always and frikken forever. So much for the noble and the forever part."

She waited. His stormy gaze held hers, their stances combative, their eyes locked as if in a battle of wills, but he didn't give an inch. Eventually, his hands went into his pockets and he looked down, away. "I am sorry, Hayley. Is that what you would like to hear?"

She rolled her eyes at the polite apology. If she had the strength, she'd have thrown an entire tree at him. Hell, the entire bayou. "You know what, screw you Elijah!" Instinctively, she reached down and picked up a stone, hurling the pebble at him.

"Screw you!"

He managed to duck it without much effort. "Hayley-" His sharp tone only infuriated her.

"Screw you and your empty promises!" She hurled another at him, past tears. "Screw you and the fact that you don't care! You know what, I'm done! I don't care either!"

"I don't care?" he shouted. "I don't care?!" His control had snapped. This was an Elijah she'd only seen once before, the night his siblings had been taken by Genevieve. She'd helped him see reason then. This time, his rage was aimed at her. "God dammit Hayley, there is no measure yet in existence to quantify how much I care! My every action since the moment I met you has been governed by the need to ensure your protection!" His voice was loud, angry, echoing across the clearing. She was riveted to the spot.

"Every action I took after Hope was taken from us was an attempt to try and ease  _your_  pain.  _Your_  pain Hayley. But you wanted none of it! None of  _me_!" His voice broke a little and Hayley flinched, moving to step closer to him. "No!" Elijah held out his hand, his tone welding her to the spot as if she were cemented there. "If words is what you seek, then you shall have them."

"You and Niklaus spent months in a loop of incessant brooding around our home, focused on nothing but your own pain. But what about mine? I lost her too. I lost Rebekah too. And then I lost you!" The words rang in her head. "We were supposed to clean up the mess we'd all  _collectively_  made. In reality however, that esteemed effort was left to me. While you grieved and Niklaus retreated to painting watercolours, I did not have the luxury of grief. I had to keep what was left of this family together." His voice was raw now. "So  _do not_  speak to me of caring! Everything I did to try to assist you only pushed you further away."

"You gave up on me!" There. The truth. She'd pushed and he'd given up.

"As much as I wanted to be the one to reach you, I knew only one who had been through what you were going through could bring you back, restore the humanity that was slipping away from you so rapidly."

"You encouraged Klaus-"

"I asked Niklaus to mentor you, spend time with you, teach you. I begged him to be kind to the mother of his child."

"Elij-"

This time he silenced her with a dark look. It seemed he had opened Pandora 's Box and now he couldn't stop himself. "But my brother could never share. He had never learnt the art. And so in order to save your soul, save your humanity and his own, I needed to push you away and towards him. My brother would not allow his new pupil to fraternise-" he laughed humourlessly "-with his brother. He would revert to his vindictive self, forsaking you, his redemption and seeking vengeance against both of us in unimaginable ways. I could not allow that. I will never allow that." Hands that had been gesticulating with purpose now rested on his hips.

"So when you accuse me of not caring, I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth! Because you are all I think about... constantly! My mind, once a thousand year old fertile plane has been reduced to nothing more than a schoolboy's playground. I watch for you, surreptitiously glance when you believe I am not looking, I listen for you, lie awake at night wishing that things could go back to the way they were before, when you didn't hate me so and I didn't hate myself for deserving it!"

He had run out of steam and Hayley's mind raced at lightning speed. She should have put it together.  _Klaus_. He had stayed away because of Klaus. Noble Elijah, always sacrificing himself for others.

"I don't hate you," she said into the silence.

Elijah shook his head, stopping her. "Platitudes will not serve us now."

She refused to let it go. "I don't hate you!" she repeated, her voice adamant and angry. Hayley's frustration simmered. "I don't hate you! How dare you ever think that I could? I might have made you hate me with what I am now." He shook his head. "Do you deny you see me differently?"

"I do not look at you Haley because I am afraid that if I do, I will never cease! That I will become consumed by the temptation I wrestle daily, the temptation to take you in my arms and never let you go."

Hayley felt her breath stuck in the back of her throat, her heartbeat racing. They stared at each other across the space. Elijah said slowly, his calm had returned. "I let you in Hayley. I let you in. I don't let people in. I just needed you more than you needed me."

She didn't think. If she thought about it she would give herself a million different reasons not to do the thing she wanted to do. Because at that very moment, she was drowning in her own feelings. He didn't hate her. He didn't loathe her. Right now, that was all that mattered.

In much the same fashion as before, she grabbed on to his lapels and crashed him against another tree trunk. This time though, her lips hovered above his for a second as she whispered, "I need you. I've always needed you." Then she crushed her lips to his, heat exploding through her entire body when his arms automatically engulfed hers, his lips responding as a man starved.

"I don't hate you," she kept repeating, their lips mashing together in primal splendour. Elijah reversed their positions, pushing her up against the trunk. Her legs wound around his waist, her arms buried under his jacket, running across the hard planes of his back. Hayley pressed her lips to the cleft in his chin. "I don't hate you."

Elijah cupped her face in his hands, resting their foreheads together. Their breathing was laboured. "I must confess, this was not the way I envisioned spending this evening."

"Right, you were going to give me the silent treatment." He smiled. "I kinda like this better," she teased.

"You must understand," he said, pushing her hair behind her ears and placing a kiss to her forehead. "I could not help you Hayley. Niklaus could. And he did."

"I get it. And he did. But now I've been helped, humanity intact. I want  _you_  back," she said boldly. Elijah pressed his lips against hers and Hayley returned the light pressure. "This conversation isn't over Elijah."

"Agreed. Shall we go home then?" His fingers trailed down the side of her neck and shivers raced towards her spine. "I think there are infinitely more comfortable quarters to continue this discussion."

Her heart rate tripped. "Klaus did say he wouldn't be home tonight."

Their eyes met and his eyes smiled into hers. "Precisely."


	23. Just One Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: this is for thegreysdiaries on tumblr. I hope you enjoy

_23\. Just One Night_

Hayley kissed her daughter's soft cheek lightly, breathing in her sweet scent. She'd completed her bottle, and Hope now slept soundly, her lips forming a little pout. Hayley smiled, her finger gently tracing the outline of the little girl's lips. The pout was _all_ Klaus. She rolled her eyes at no one, resigned to the fact because Hope Mikaelson was _perfect_ ; all her fingers and toes accounted for.

In the hours since their reunion, she'd already learned so much about her baby. Hope was _undeniably_ happy. While it hurt her to acknowledge that she flourished without her, the hurt was tempered with gratitude. Rebekah was taking excellent care of their most prized possession. Hope was happy, bubbly and friendly, her blue eyes alive with mirth, her toothless smiles always at the ready whenever she looked at either Mikaelson, especially her father. _And Elijah_.

Hayley took one final look at the baby in the crib before turning off the lamp and silently leaving the room. The house was quiet, eerily so after the day's commotion. It had been a long time since she'd felt so light, so happy. For a moment, all of them were able to pretend that life wasn't so bad and that the monsters that chased them were temporarily at bay.

Even Elijah seemed happier than he'd seemed lately. Things between them had naturally clicked back into place, as if the past few months of discord hadn't existed. Nervous tension pulsed through her. They were alone in the mansion, Klaus and Rebekah having returned to New Orleans. She needed to tell him about Jackson. There would never be a better moment.

Padding silently to the lounge, she saw him sitting beside the hearth, bathed in roaring firelight.

She allowed herself the pleasure of watching him for what felt infinitesimal before gathering her courage. "She's asleep." He looked up and she was struck by just how handsome he was. Maybe it was because she hadn't been able to really look at him in a while – both of them had become so adept at ignoring the fact that the other existed. He looked lonely. And from what Klaus had told her, thanks to their bitch of a mother, he was also battling demons.

"It's so quiet, with Klaus and Rebekah gone." He didn't say anything and her palms began to sweat a little. "So, we didn't get to say our wishes. Can I tell you mine?" He raised his brow slightly and she stepped into the room, her hands restless. "It's a hope, actually... that you'll understand what I have to tell you."

"And what is it?"

She took a fortifying breath, her throat going dry. She was frikken annoyed at herself, but she had no control, her nerves taking over, the words tumbling from her lips in an impassioned rush.

"My wolves. I think I figured out a way to release them from the witches." A surprised frown creased his forehead before he stood, his features becoming inscrutable with his back to the fire. "They could control their turning without the rings, and bring peace to our home so that Hope could return to us. But, there's a catch..." Her throat closed. She'd gone over this in her head a thousand times and now nothing came out right. "I have to marry Jackson." He turned then and the stunned expression on his face is undeniable. Elijah blinked twice and she watched him attempt to swallow. "It's a… um, mystical ceremony, and-and an alpha bonding ritual...?" The last part came out as a question.

Elijah turned away from her, towards the window and like a moth to a flame, she stepped closer, not sure what she meant to do, knowing only that she wanted to reassure him of her motivations. "Elijah... I know that you and I haven't been close recently, but... you have to know that this isn't about him. I don't _love_ Jackson, but... at the same time; I couldn't marry him and still be involved with you."

She waited but he said nothing, his features unreadable, the silence deafening. She didn't know what she'd hoped his response would be. Silence though, it was no damned comfort. Feeling disappointed, Hayley turned to leave. "I don't know, I should just-"

She'd heard him move before she felt his hand clasp her forearm, spinning her around to face him. Her heartbeat thumped inside her chest as their eyes locked. Her mind hadn't yet caught up when his arm snaked around her waist, slamming her body against his as his lips crashed into hers. Her breath was stolen; her head light as she kissed him back as a beggar starved. The kiss was everything their previous kisses had been but more – more passionate, intense, _desperate_.

Slowly, gently, their lips separated and Hayley kept her eyes closed a moment longer, wanting to savour the imprint of his lips on hers for as long as she could. His lips, when she opened her eyes were moist, glistening in the shifting light.

"Marry him," Elijah whispered.

"What?" Disbelief. _He wouldn't even fight for her?_

He stepped closer, brushing away a lock of her hair before gently cupping her face. His eyes blazed into hers, hard and soft at the same time.

"Listen to me, the only way that this city will be safe for Hope's return is if you have unified your people, and I have unified my own. Now Davina will eventually lead her witches, and whatever that girl may be, she is no enemy to your child. Do what you need to bring your daughter home."

He couldn't hide his longing from her. Maybe they had both decided to stop pretending for a moment. It was written across his face, open now for her to see. Despite their arduous separation, his face bore the evidence of his feelings for her.

But Elijah stepped back from her. "This is my wish for you."

She loved him. She couldn't love him any more than she did right then. Always noble, always so willing to sacrifice his own happiness. This time however, the sacrifice required from both of them was to save Hope, her daughter. Tomorrow she would be proud of their decision. Right now, unhappiness weighed on her like a black shroud.

She cupped his cheek briefly, knowing that this would be the last time they could be this way. Misery echoed in the expression on both their faces.

Their eyes clung to each other though, and Hayley struggled to tear herself away. With every passing second, she felt her feelings, the _desperation_ of their parting rise to choke her. This was it; they would never be here again. The air charged, his eyes darkened and she knew what she wanted – _and what she would take_. Without words, they simultaneously lunged at each other, their lips already parted, crashing together with a frantic craving.

Her body became the wood they'd been piling high all afternoon, and he became the match that lit the inferno. Elijah's hands cupped her thighs and he hoisted her up, their lips separating momentarily before clashing together in blistering lust. Her arms wound around his neck, her legs imprisoning him as they locked around his waist. She was dizzy, breathless, out of her mind. She registered being pushed against the bookshelf only when his groin pushed at her core. _Oh God, she was on fire_. If she'd been standing, her legs would have buckled beneath her.

Hands moved then, frantic with purpose. Her fingers stripped him of his tie, his hands discarded her jacket, yanking at the straps of her top until her clothing bunched at her waist. When her chest touched his naked torso, she whimpered with pleasure, an electric charge pooling between her thighs. His tongue danced down her neck, biting into her earlobe and her breath expelled in an inflamed rush.

_Holy hell._ She felt like she was being burnt alive. She reached down and unbuckled his belt, released the zipper and reached inside his trousers. Elijah hissed into her ear as her fingers found what they sought. He was ready. God dammit, and so was she.

His lips captured hers and their tongues duelled fiercely. Her lungs were bursting but she didn't care. Elijah swung them around and while simultaneously lowering her onto a nearby ottoman thrust inside of her. Hayley's mind shut down, her entire being focused on the rampant feelings coursing through her. They were now physically connected. _One_.

She moaned, her entire body reduced to a flailing puddle of magnificent feeling. He reached for her, his hands cupping the nape of her neck as his lips seared a blazing path across hers. Again he thrust and her legs wrapped around his flanks, wildly riding out the storm. They panted and groaned, nipped and sucked before sensation culminated. Hayley stiffened, her arms wrapped around him. Their eyes met as they both tumbled off the cliff. Elijah's lips touched hers and she sighed; fulfilled, content, _happy_.

He lay on top of her, still, their laboured breathing mingling with the crackling wood from the fire. Elijah lifted his head from its position on her chest, his elbows braced beside her head.

"Are you alright?"

Hayley rolled her eyes but couldn't contain the smile that split across her face. "A little late for chivalry don't you think?"

The corners of his lips curled up slightly and it did funny things to her insides. God, she was ready for him again. It didn't surprise her. This moment had been inevitable from the moment they'd met. _How did they pretend this never happened?_

Hayley yelped because within the blink of an eye he had them on the floor in a slightly more comfortable position. Hayley climbed onto his chest, her forearms resting on the tops of his shoulders.

"Hi," she said.

He grinned. It was more of a smirk actually. "I do apologise for the uncomfortable surroundings."

Hayley cocked her head toward the ottoman to her left. "You just had your wicked way with me on a piece of furniture. Like I said, chivalry..." she shook her head and mouthed 'nope'.

He chuckled and she felt the vibrations against her torso. Afraid of losing the moment, Hayley burrowed into the space between his shoulder and neck. He seemed to sense the melancholy too and wrapped his arms around her. They lay like that for a long time, the firelight playing across their tangled bodies.

Elijah had laced their fingers together and brought it to his chest. Hayley shifted, pushing into his side. "Klaus told me about what Esther did to you."

"Mother is an expert in leaving a lasting impression." She didn't say anything. Eventually, he added, "I see things, some of it dreams, some of it things I've done in the past, tormenting me, mocking me with all my past transgressions."

She squeezed his hand. "Elijah, she's evil. Nothing she says or does can be trusted."

"This I know," he said. "Except, for the most part, these memories are real. I have done things Hayley, abysmal things, things I have buried deep, until now. My dear mother has unlocked a veritable Pandora's box." He grimaced. "I have to be careful, around... you… and Hope."

"Elijah," Hayley pushed into his face, "you would never hurt me. You could never hurt Hope."

"It would never be my intention. But until I am free of Esther's vengeance, it is best to be cautious."

She touched his cheek. "Is this part of the reason you've pushed me away?"

In the distance, she heard a faint mewing sound and knew Hope was awake. They both moved, Elijah retrieving his discarded shirt and passing it to her. She was a mess. Hayley scowled and turned to align her bra and shrug into his shirt.

"Thanks." She turned to leave.

"Hayley?"

"Yes?"

He pulled her close and slowly, deliberately, placed a kiss on her forehead. "Now, see to your daughter."

Her eyes narrowed because he was smiling. "And then?"

"Then, meet me in my bedroom." Her heart rate faltered.

"Elijah-"

"If this night is all we are allowed, I would make the most of it."

Hayley reached onto her toes and kissed him with wild abandon, her arms winding around his neck. The words were so close to the surface. Those precious three words. But she remained silent.

"Be right back."

Twenty minutes later Hayley put her daughter back down and Elijah lounged in the doorway. "Her pout is all Niklaus."

He winked at her and Hayley shushed him with her finger, whispering, "Tell me about it."

Outside the doorway, she squeaked as he swung her into his arms. "Elijah!" Their faces were so close and she flushed under his intense gaze.

"Niklaus won't be back until morning."

She raised a brow. "Meaning?" Her hand clasped the nape of his neck as he carried her towards his bedroom.

"We get to do that," his head inclined slightly towards the lounge as they passed it, "a few more times."

Hayley placed her lips on his as they stood at the foot of the bed. "Elijah?"

"Yes?" He pushed her hair behind her ear and she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Why?" The word carried a wealth of meaning. _Why the distance, why the unpleasantness?_

"You know why," he whispered, placing his forehead against her own. Hayley sighed. They had so much to talk about. But the reality was that time moved swiftly. And she didn't want to waste what little they had on the past.

Elijah's hands went to the buttons of her shirt – his shirt – and continued to relieve her of her clothing. _All of it._ His eyes bore into hers.

"Ready for bed?" His smirk was back.

Hayley stepped into the circle of his arms and he lifted her without any effort, depositing her onto the centre of the mattress. The covers were cool at her back, but his body settling on top of hers easily distracted her.

"I've missed you." Hayley looked into his eyes. "No matter what happens, I won't-"

"I know."

His lips caught hers and she kissed him back. They could talk later. _Much later._ Right now, there were infinitely more pleasurable things they could do.

* * *


	24. 'Tis The Season

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make no apologies. Utter holiday inspired sluff. Happy holidays everyone, x

_24\. 'Tis The Season_

It had been a week since Klaus and Rebekah had left for New Orleans. He'd called and provided a hasty update on what had happened and although both Elijah and Hayley would have given anything to provide assistance, they knew that keeping Hope safe was still the number one priority. So until Klaus felt it necessary, Elijah was not to leave them unprotected. This meant that by some cosmic plot twist, she got to spend Christmas with the two most important people in her life.

Without words, they'd tacitly agreed that they would not discuss the future, not discuss too much of the past, they would live in the present  _and_... they would share a bedroom - in so doing, harness as much joy as time allowed.

Elijah had finally told her about his motivations for pushing her away. It had been midnight and they'd just made love for third time. Being lethargic and ensconced in a warm, sated glow did not stop her from giving him hell about a decision he'd made without her knowledge. The argument had been heated but settled when exasperated, he'd rolled her beneath him, cupped her face between his hands and whispered,  _"I'm sorry,"_  with the kind of sincerity that only Elijah could muster.

"You were a dick, you know that right?" Her words were soft but even the fire in her eyes couldn't hide her vulnerability. That knowledge had cut him deeply.

"I did what I thought was best." She'd tried to interrupt but he put a finger to her lips. "However misguided."

She'd glared at him, her non-verbal cues clearly conveying,  _don't you do it again_. He chuckled, his tongue playing at the soft indent just behind her earlobe. When she gasped, he knew the storm had passed.

Later she woke to the now familiar mewing of her daughter in the next room. Hayley struggled through layers of sleep, already feeling the bed dip where Elijah moved. She felt his lips against her naked shoulder. "Sleep, I'll see to her."

"No, no, it's ok." She didn't want to miss any moment with her.

He understood. "I'll get her and bring her in."

Hayley nodded, happy with the compromise. His lips pressed a quick kiss to her temple before he exited the room wearing only pyjama bottoms. Hayley roused herself and switched on the bedside lamp, searching under the covers for her discarded t-shirt. She couldn't find it.  _Dammit_. In the golden glow of light from the lamp, she spotted Elijah's neatly folded shirt at the foot of the bed and reached for it. It would have to do. Sitting in only his shirt and her cotton panties, her daughter was brought into the bedroom wearing a red onesie with  _Santa's Little Helper_ printed on the front. As usual, Hope's eyes lit up when she saw her, her smile broad as she cooed with pleasure.

"How is anyone this frikken happy at 3am?"

"I suspect," Elijah said as he deposited her into Hayley's arms, "it has something to do with seeing her mother."

She narrowed her eyes. "A slightly rumpled tomboy?"

His lips curled into that elusive smile she had come to know so well, the one that caused deep, attractive creases around his mouth. "You look lovely."

Their eyes met over Hope's head and Hayley realised she could get lost in these moments. It was a constant battle to remind herself that this was not real – or it was real, but it was not sustainable. Soon they would return to New Orleans and she would face the prospect of marrying Jackson. The apprehension that was never far from the surface reared its head. But the look in his eyes - so warm, so loving, made it easy to push away the anxiety threatening their ill-advised cocoon. She knew the memory of these days would only make what they had to do harder.  _But it was Christmas_ , she kept telling herself.  _Didn't they deserve a damned break from all the frikken drama?_

Her eyes went to his lips, so close, but the spell broke when Hope demanded her attention.

"Her bottle," Elijah said, the smirk on his face evidence that he knew exactly where her thoughts were headed.

"Right." Hayley watched him leave the room; his hair still sexily mussed from sleep, his pyjama pants riding low on his hips.  _Oh boy._ She focused on the child.

"Hiya baby," she whispered in that singsong voice that all adults tended to adopt when speaking to an infant. "That's your Uncle Elijah," she continued. "He will always make sure you have a choice, baby girl." Hope pumped her legs with excitement, the stout Santa Claus on her chest winking merrily at Hayley. "It's almost Christmas. Yes, it is." The baby's plump little hand went into her mouth, sucking hard and Hayley laughed. "Aww honey, your snack's on its way."

"Actually, it's arrived." Elijah handed her a baby bottle festooned with smiling snowmen. Rebekah really did go  _all out._

Hayley sat back against the pillows and watched her daughter devour her drink. "I don't know where she gets her appetite from."

Elijah settled beside her, both of them watching the child, fascinated. "I might testify if called upon to admit that I have observed her mother enjoying-"

"Hey! Those were cravings."

"I did not think it necessary to point out that cravings only apply when you're pregnant."

Hayley rolled her eyes at him but smiled. "So what if we love our dinner right?" she asked Hope. The baby made no sound, her eyes already drooping. Elijah rubbed her little foot, the appendage covered in a snowflake speckled sock, both watching her in silence until her lips ejected the teat and her breathing became soft and even.

"Perhaps... we could take Hope sledding."

"Great idea." She raised a brow. "Except, there's no snow."

Elijah smiled as if he knew something she didn't. "There's a small rink of some kind in town. Rebekah mentioned it before their premature departure."

"Manufactured snow?" Hayley reiterated.

"A variation, yes. The effect I assure you will be similar to the real thing. Well," he conceded, "one hopes."

Hayley shifted the sleeping baby slightly. "You would go sledding... with Hope... on fake snow?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Elijah leaned over and placed a kiss to the tiny foot he had been caressing. Her heart flipped over.

"Kinda, yes. Not the doing something for Hope part," she clarified. "The  _you-in-a-suit-on-fake-snow_  part. I might pay good money to see that."

His lips twitched. "Well, looks like you'll be a witness to a Christmas miracle for free. 'Tis the season after all." Hayley caught herself smiling at him like a fool. In her defence however, he seemed to be doing the same thing. He cleared his throat.

"She certainly sleeps like you do," Elijah commented. Hope's one arm was flung out to the side, careless in her slumber.

"My arms are not flung out like this."

"I beg to differ." She gasped, light-hearted. "I speak only from recent experience."

"Damn you  _noble_  Elijah," she teased. "Besides, I wake up in your arms every morning." Her eyes flicked to his and away, a little shy.

"Yes," he drawled. "I do wonder why. Perhaps it is a tactic I've devised in order to keep those arms from poking at me."

She laughed out loud but sniggered softly when Hope stirred. Eventually, she frowned under Elijah's intense gaze. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. You're just…  _beautiful_ … especially when you're happy."

"I guess I'm finding this damned crazy situation kind of inspires it." Their eyes held for a long time before she carefully rose, taking Hope back to her room.

When she returned, she stood on her side of the bed. On her head she wore a red Santa hat she'd found in Hope's room. "If you're that uncomfortable, perhaps I should sleep in Hope's room. There's a-"

Hayley squeaked when with a lightning smooth action, he toppled her onto the bed and then tucked her comfortably into the side of his body.

"Charming," he drawled, lifting the red and white hat off her head.

"Thought I'd get you into a festive mood." She did some tucking of her own and threw her leg over his, securing her arm across his chest. "Just making sure my limbs are appropriately  _flung out_."

He laughed quietly, the sound deep and sexy. "No complaints." A beat. "It's Christmas Eve," Elijah said.

"Yeah. Not that I could forget. I'm reminded every time I see the giant tree downstairs and all Hope's holiday themed jumpers." Elijah groaned and together they laughed. "There are no gifts from me though. I don't even have anything for Hope."

"She has you. That's the best gift she could ever have asked for."

Hayley nodded in the darkness. "I know the feeling."

"So do I."

He was referring to the time they had together. She shifted, her body, tightening her grip around him. "What are we doing Elijah?"

"Becoming adept at making sacrifices for the sake of ones family."

"I might need a 1000 years to practice."

"Regrets?"

"No." She sighed heavily, suddenly tired. "It's Christmas."

She felt him nod and leaned into his kiss. It was soft and sweet and irrationally made her want to cry. Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation.

"So, Christmas festivities in town tomorrow it is then."

Hayley nodded. It hit her how much she wished that this could be their lives. The luxury of raising a family away from all the crazy.  _Like a real family_.

She half asleep when she heard him say, "yes."  _Had she said that aloud?_

Elijah covered her hand which lay across his heart with his own and they both drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> WIP for as long as inspiration strikes. Prompts accepted.


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